Date:17/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/17/stories/2006121709190500.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

NCP withdraws support to LDF

Staff Reporter

LDF loses majority in Alappuzha council

`NCP to sit in council as separate block'

`To adopt issue-based stand'

ALAPPUZHA: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has four members in the 50-member Alappuzha municipal council, withdrew its unconditional support to the ruling LDF on Saturday, leading to speculations on the future of LDF rule.

The LDF has 23 councillors and the UDF 20 councillors. Apart from one Independent councillor, the NCP has four councillors and the BJP and the PDP one councillor each in the municipal council.

Leader of the NCP parliamentary party in the municipal council T.T. Kuruvilla announced the decision withdrawing support to the LDF at the council meeting on Saturday. After the welcome address by municipal chairman P.P. Chitharanjan of the CPI(M), Mr. Kuruvilla rose to announce the decision of his party. He said the NCP was withdrawing its support to the LDF in the context of the changed political equations. As the party had been expelled from the LDF coalition at the State level, the decision should be implemented in the district and local level also. "We are leaving LDF on our own to avoid the humiliation of the LDF expelling us," said Mr. Kuruvilla. He said the NCP would sit as a separate block in the council. Mr. Kuruvilla said the stand of the NCP in the future would be issue based.

The Opposition UDF welcomed the decision of the NCP with a thunderous applause in the council.

Leader of the Opposition in the council A.A. Shukkoor of the Congress said the ruling front had been reduced to a minority in the council, and therefore the chairman should resign. Leader of the IUML parliamentary party in the council A.M. Nazeer supported the stand of Mr. Shukkoor.