Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010353950400.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Murali: decision on entry into UDF next month

Special Correspondent

KOCHI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State president K. Muraleedharan has said a decision on his party’s entry into the United Democratic Front (UDF) will be taken before the third week of February, prior to his State-wide rally.

Addressing a Nationalist Mahila Congress convention at Aluva on Friday, he said the party would contest all the 20 Lok Sabha seats if the entry did not materialise.

Those who wanted to keep NCP away from an alliance should be able to do so in Delhi and Maharashtra.

The decision on entry would be taken by the leadership in Delhi and not locally, he said.

Kerala is having the weakest Chief Minister ever in power, but it was futile to think that anti-government sentiments could be converted into votes, he said.