Muraleedharan hints NCP's entry to UDF

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (UNI) Hinting that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will become a partner in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, its state President K Muraleedharan today said the Central leadership of the party would take an appropriate decision in this regard.

Talking to reporters here, he said those who opposed the NCP's entry into the UDF fold would be forced to keep silent once a decision in this regard taken by the central leadership of the NCP.

Mr Muraleedharan, however, made it clear that the NCP would never join hands with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the sate in the coming Parliament elections.

He said the party was planning to field candidates to all the 20 seats in the Parliament elections. However, a final decision in this regard would be taken only after the direction from the Central leadership as the state unit would respect the decision.

Stating that the bomb blasts and the seizure of large quantity of country bombs from Kannur should be taken seriously, he said a judicial probe should be ordered into the incident as both the RSS and the CPI(M) had washed out their hands in this regard.

Alleging that the LDF government was a total failure, he said the NCP would organise a fast in front of the state secretariat on December 17.

After the December 17 fast, the NCP would give up all the position it was holding in the local bodies, he said and added that the NCP members would support the UDF if they made a request in this regard.

However, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said the final decision on NCP's entry into the UDF would be from the High Command and that too considering the feelings of the Congress workers in the state.

UNI CGV PMM SY GC1958