NCP to form new front: Muraleedharan

Kochi, Feb 6 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Kerala President K Muraleedharan today said the party would take the lead in forming a new front in the state before the next Parliamentary elections.

Addressing a gathering at the NCP's Ernakulam District Convention here, Mr Muraleedharan said talks were on with leaders of different parties to form such a front in the state.

He said the existing two fronts - the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) - were ineffective in discharging their duties to the common man.

Mr Muraleedharan said people were looking to the NCP to relieve them from their precarious situation in the State.

Criticising the Government, he said the State was at a standstill without effective governance. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had no faith in his ministers and they had no faith in the Chief Minister.

'Mr Achuthanandan is the greatest critic of his government, as he, time and again in the state administrators meetings, has revealed that nothing is happening in the State,' he said.

He said the eight-month-rule of LDF was a utter failure in dealing with issues in agriculture, education and employment. The NCP would launch an agitation against this 'lacklustre performance.' Mr Muraleedharan also criticised the UDF, the main opposition, for alleged failure to highlight the people's problems.

On the Cauvery Tribunal awarding 30 tmc ft water to Kerala, he criticised the government for not conducting the case properly. The State had asked for 100 tmc ft water but the government's stand before the Tribunal was weak and had not substantiated the demand, he felt.

UNI