UDF leaders meet Sonia Gandhi and urge her to resolve issues

KOTTAYAM: Leaders of coalition partners of Congress-led ruling UDF in Kerala today met AICC President Sonia Gandhi and sought her intervention to resolve differences in state Congress and among partners, failing which UDF would face "pathetic" defeat in 2016 assembly polls.

Talking to reporters after meeting Sonia Gandhi at the guest house here, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty said that they had informed her about the disunity in Congress in the state and groupism.

"We informed her about the disunity in the Congress leadership in the state, groupism and divergent views of coalition on various issues and told her that this needs to be rectified as early as possible", Kunhalikutty, also leader of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest partner in the Front, said.

The Front partners also brought to the notice of Sonia Gandhi contents of a purported letter criticising Chief Minister Oommen Chandy written by State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, a former KPCC Chief.

Kerala Congress (M) supremo and former Finance Minister K M Mani, who was forced to resign in the bar bribery case, said the letter row also came up for discussion.

"The letter had exceeded all limits. It also hurt the minority community's sentiments", he said.

The contents of the purported letter written by Chennithala was brought to her notice, especially with regard to the dominance of the minority community in UDF which had led to "erosion" in the Hindu vote bank, Mani, leader of the third largest partner in the Front, said.

The leaders also urged Sonia Gandhi to resolve various issues plaguing the party. They also said otherwise UDF will face "pathetic failure" in the assembly polls due in 2016.

The letter, among other things, claimed that BJP had emerged as a force to reckon with in the state and due to the appeasement of minorities, the majority community was drifting away from Congress.

Falling rubber prices also came up for discussions, he added.

RSP leader N K Premachandran said he sought strong intervention of Sonia Gandhi to end factionalism in PCC.

"The most worrying factor for UDF in assembly polls next year is the unprecedented groupism in state Congress. We apprehend it will spoil UDF's electoral prospects. If the high command strongly intervenes and contains it at this stage, UDF will definitely retain power in Kerala. This is what I conveyed to the Congress president", he told PTI.

He said Gandhi was apprised of the political atmosphere prevailing in Kerala is in favour of UDF, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on government's liquor policy.

He also asked Gandhi to complete seat allocation and announcement of candidates for assembly polls by January 31 so that it would give ample time for UDF to successfully carry out election campaign and thus win the elections.