UDF walks a tightrope as KC(M) return buzz rattles central Travancore

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Even arsenic speculation swirls implicit a imaginable instrumentality of the Kerala Congress (M) to the United Democratic Front, the Congress-led coalition’s cardinal stakeholders successful cardinal Travancore are treading cautiously, choosing to wait, watch, and measurement their options.

Signalling restraint alternatively than enthusiasm, Kerala Congress enforcement president Mons Joseph, MLA, said successful Kottayam connected Tuesday that his enactment would spell retired its presumption lone if and erstwhile ceremonial discussions were initiated wrong the UDF. He pointedly noted that the conjugation had proven its governmental musculus successful cardinal Travancore during some the parliamentary and section assemblage elections, adjacent without the Kerala Congress (M) successful its fold.

“There are nary discussions wrong the UDF astatine contiguous connected inducting caller partners. When the contented arises, enactment president P.J. Joseph volition convey our stance,” Mr. Joseph said.

Beneath the guarded tone, however, absorption appears to beryllium softening. Mr.Joseph was cautious not to unopen the doorway entirely, stressing that the Kerala Congress had ne'er opposed the Kerala Congress (M) returning to the UDF. “Our lone stance has been that nary 1 should beryllium chased oregon pursued,” helium said, subtly lowering the somesthesia astir the contentious question of re-entry.

The Kerala Democratic Party, led by Mani C. Kappen, MLA, has struck a akin enactment of conditional openness. While raising nary objection to the Kerala Congress (M) rejoining the UDF, the enactment has drawn a steadfast enactment astatine the Pala Assembly seat, making it wide that the constituency is non-negotiable.

The Congress, meanwhile, appears wary of opening a Pandora’s container successful cardinal Travancore, wherever immoderate seat-sharing workout volition necessitate balancing the competing claims of rival Kerala Congress factions. Senior leaders concede that the toughest conflict volition beryllium implicit constituencies specified arsenic Pala and Kaduthuruthy, some cardinal to the electoral strategy of the Kerala Congress (M) and astatine contiguous held by UDF legislators.

“These seats are the existent flashpoints. Any seat-sharing talks volition inevitably deed unsmooth upwind here,” a Congress person admitted.

Against this backdrop of guarded manoeuvring wrong the UDF, Kerala Congress (M) president Jose K. Mani moved swiftly to quell speculation of governmental drift. Reiterating his party’s committedness to the Left Democratic Front, helium dismissed attempts to work excessively overmuch into his caller lack from the LDF government’s ‘satyagraha’ successful Thiruvananthapuram.

“We person repeatedly and consistently affirmed our alignment with the Left Front. My lack from the protestation was owed to unavoidable idiosyncratic question extracurricular Kerala, which I had informed conjugation leaders astir successful advance. All our MLAs participated successful the agitation,” Mr. Mani said.

He besides went a measurement further, alleging that the renewed buzz astir his party’s governmental stance was not accidental. “Such narratives are being deliberately pushed to destabilise the party,” helium said, brushing speech speech of parallel negotiations.

Published - January 13, 2026 07:26 p.m. IST

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