No ties with parties other than UDF partners

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 27. The AICC(I) general secretary, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, today reiterated the position of the Congress(I) in Kerala to shun all ties with political parties which are not partners in the UDF.

At a press conference at the end of the two-day parleys with partymen here, Mr Azad said: ``We have no formal or informal, official or unofficial alliance with either the CPI(M) or any other party. There might have been some adjustments at the local- level among individuals, which was, however, not restricted, but spread across the spectrum of alliances, including the LDF. The party does not in any case approve of any individual adjustments.''

News reports about differences between the Congress(I) and the IUML were baseless. ``These are just canards and rumours spread by the CPI(M) from time to time to divert attention. The UDF is more strong than ever before,'' he said. About his visit to Panakkad, Mr Azad said that he had called on the IUML supremo, Mr Panakkad Sayyed Sihab Thangal, on the occasion of Id. Besides, the IUML was a party which had its members in Parliament and with whom his party maintained close coordination, and, therefore, there was no harm in his meeting its leaders.

Mr Azad admitted that there were problems between the Congress(I) and the IUML, but not on the scale as projected in the media. The dispute was restricted to four panchayats. In these areas, the seat sharing had not been finalised before they went to the polls last time. This had resulted in a loose alliance. Asked whether the party leadership would take action against those who had struck such deals, Mr Azad did not give a direct reply saying that the question related to a future position. Efforts had been initiated to correct any abrasions in the existing situation.

Asked whether the KPCC(I) executive, which met on Monday, had decided on the Rajya Sabha seats, which were falling vacant in June, Mr Azad that it was too early to state anything about this. So far, the issue had not been raised either in the Congress or by the partners and brought to the notice of the AICC.

Announcing the decisions of the KPCC(I) executive meeting, he said that the meeting had charted out a two-point programme - agitational and rebuilding the party. The agitational programme would be against the policies of the State and Central governments. On March 30, the party would stage a evening dharna in front of the office of the Chief Post-master General in protest against the BJP-led Government's decision hiking the prices of cooking gas and kerosene.

This would be followed by a Raj Bhavan march on April 7 against the anti-people policies of the Centre.The heat of agitation would be turned on the LDF Government on April 12, when the party workers would march to the Kozhikode collectorate.

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