Kerala Kamaraj Congress President Rejects Joining UDF

The United Democratic Front’s attempt to broaden its support base before the Kerala Assembly elections has hit a roadblock. Kerala Kamaraj Congress President Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan has publicly stated that his party will not be joining the UDF as an associate member. This announcement came after the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, V.D. Satheesan, disclosed that Chandrasekharan’s party, along with Trinamool Congress (Kerala unit) and the Janadhipathya Rashtriya Party, had been approved for associate membership in the UDF. Chandrasekharan emphasized that he has no plans to align with the UDF, mentioning that even though discussions with political leaders occurred, he has not applied or shown formal interest in joining the Congress-led front. He highlighted his long-standing association with the NDA, stating that he does not engage in political bargaining for personal gain. Chandrasekharan, who hails from an RSS background, expressed his ideological alignment with the movement and indicated that his party is currently maintaining a distance from the BJP. He acknowledged internal party differences and ongoing discussions to address issues related to the use of workers’ votes. Additionally, Union Minister and Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar offered assurances to resolve existing problems. The UDF is considering parties that supported them in the recent local body elections for associate status to strengthen the electoral prospects of the Congress-led front. Despite P.V. Anvar’s cooperation in the local body polls, it did not yield political advantages for him. In preparation for the upcoming state Assembly elections, the UDF plans to conduct a statewide yatra in February from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram to amplify the “anti-incumbency” sentiment against the CPI(M)-led LDF government.