The New Indian Express ·
Congress draws the line on boards, corporations; UDF allies push back
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress has drawn the line on sharing boards and corporations with its UDF partners, saying it cannot concede a larger share this time, even as the September 15 deadline for completing the discussions passed without a settlement.
The Congress leadership has told the allies that the party’s strength in the new assembly — 63 MLAs against 38 in the previous UDF government in 2011 — justifies a larger share of boards and corporations to accommodate its leaders.
The stand has angered major allies such as the IUML and the Kerala Congress-Joseph, which have 22 and seven MLAs respectively. Both have sought a larger share and submitted their claims to the chief minister and KPCC leadership. They have argued that the seats vacated by Kerala Congress (M) when it moved out of the UDF should be distributed among the coalition partners.
