Seat sharing: No agreement reached in UDF meeting

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF has not yet taken a decision regarding the seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. There was no further discussion regarding seat sharing in the front meeting held on Monday. The UDF will meet again on February 14 after the leadership meetings of the respective parties hold talks on the understandings that emerged in the initial discussions.

The Muslim League's adamance in its demand for a third seat has also opened the way for further negotiations. The Congress will hold bilateral talks with the League again on February 13. A final decision on the number of seats to be allotted to the League will be taken during this discussion. The League leadership will participate in further bilateral discussions after the state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal returns from abroad.

On Monday evening, the high power committee of the Kerala Congress Joseph faction met at the Mascot Hotel in the capital and discussed the election preparations. It was agreed in the bilateral discussion that the Kottayam seat would be given to the Joseph faction. The meeting tasked party chairman PJ Joseph to make decisions regarding candidate selection.