UDF hopes to satisfy allies at Tuesdays meet

KOCHI: The United Democratic Front (UDF) is hopeful of finding an amicable solution to the sharing of the posts on boards and corporations among its constituents when it meets on Tuesday.The UDF that has been in the exercise for months has not yet reached a consensus and most of the constituents had even openly expressed unhappiness over the unilateral decisions being taken by the Congress. Expressing hope that an accord would be reached among the constituents at the meeting, UDF convenor P P Thankachan said that no consensus has been reached yet on the chairpersons and members of various boards and corporations. Some parties have asked for more posts, he said and added that every party would get its due share.“The leadership meet will discuss the posts that were now available. The posts in some of the welfare boards and the Cochin and Travancore Devaswom Boards and Guruvayur Devaswoms are not vacant. These posts would be only filled in due time,” he said. When asked if everything would be finalised at Tuesday’s meeting, Thankachan said “we hope for an earlier solution.” Industries Minister and IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty said there were only a few issues and it would be sorted out in the next meeting. “A consensus will be reached as almost all the constituents have agreed upon the posts,” he said. The number of posts that each constituent gets is usually decided on the basis of its strength in the Assembly.The Congress, which is leading the UDF, would be getting preferential posts.At the same time, the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress (M) is known to have asked for more posts as they have a good representation in the Assembly. SJ(D) led by MP Veerendrakumar would also be bargaining for some keen posts.The Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) and the Communist Marxist Party (CMP), which have no representation in the Assembly, have also claimed some posts. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, Consumerfed, Norka-Roots, Rubbermark, Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation and Kerafed are some of the high profile bodies to name where the new posts have to be filled.