By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala is planning to induct parties with a secular outlook after the Lok Sabha polls, a senior leader of the combine said Thursday.
P.P. Thankachen, convenor of the UDF, told reporters: “We are looking forward to induct parties which have a secular outlook.”
The UDF comprises eight parties. Besides the Congress, the others are the Indian Union Muslim League, three different Kerala Congress parties – led by K.M. Mani, R. Balakrishna Pillai and T.M. Jacob, the Janadiyapathiya Samrakshna Samithi, the Revolutionary Socialist Party(B) and the Communist Marxist Party (CMP).
Of these, all except the Jacob faction, the RSP(B) and the CMP, have representation in the present assembly.
Last month, the Kerala Congress (Secular) led by five-time legislator P.C. George was made an affiliate of the UDF parliamentary party in the assembly.
The parties likely to be included in the UDF after the polls include a faction of the Janata Dal (Secular), which is at loggerheads with the Left Democratic Front and the Nationalist Congress Party.
Thankachen, who is former speaker of the Kerala assembly, refused to say whether the JD(S) and the NCP were waiting in the wings to enter the UDF.