Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will finalise its candidates-list for the April 13 Kerala assembly polls in a few days, state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala said Monday.

Chennithala, who made a day’s visit to the national capital to meet party leaders, told IANS: “Consultations with different UDF partners are in a crucial state. We are meeting Tuesday. We hope to sort out the claims for seats and finalise the candidates at the earliest.”

Chennithala met Congress treasurer Motilal Vora and other party leaders here.

Bargaining for more seats by constituent parties like the Kerala Congress (Mani) - a rural party with substantial Christian support, and the Socialist Janata are delaying the seat allocation in the UDF, party sources said.

While the Kerala Congress (Mani) is demanding 18 seats, the Congress is offering 14. A compromise formula of 16 seats has been mooted by the Muslim League leaders, who have donned the mantle of mediators.

Meanwhile, Congress circles said the removal of uncertainty about Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy’s contesting, the party will intensify the poll preparations.

A vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram Monday permitted a re-investigation into the palm oil import case in the 1990s but did not make any adverse comment on the role of Chandy, who was the finance minister then.

Chandy had said he would take a “moral ground” if there was any adverse comment, which was interpreted to mean he would not contest the polls in such a situation.

The court gave the state vigilance agency three months to re-investigate the case. The Assembly polls are due April 13.

Besides Chandy, several other top leaders including Chennithala and late veteran leader K.Karunakaran’s son K. Muraleedharan are likely to contest, party sources told IANS.

Meanwhile, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) announced its seat division in Thiruvananthapuram Monday. Under the agreement, LDF’s major constituent, Communist Party of India (Marxist) will contest 85 seats in the 140-member Assembly.

“The completion of seat allocation by the rivals should push things in the UDF too. The candidates’ list may be out by week-end,” a Congress source told IANS.