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Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala was expected to capitalise on the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's woes, it has been laid low by bickering in its own ranks.
Certain unsavoury remarks emanating from the Congress camp about the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership started the tiff, which is all the more serious considering that the two parties are the major constituents of the UDF.
Senior Congress leader Aryadan Mohammad and his son Aryadan Shoukath had made remarks critical of the IUML.
Shoukath's words, directed at the Thangal family, are believed to have particularly irked the IUML.
IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty was quick to state that his party expected fair treatment from the coalition.
Street protests by IUML activists led to a Congress office at Nadapuram being torched.
The IUML also withdrew its support to the Nilambur village council leadership on Monday, forcing the body's vice president, Thattassery Subaida, to quit the post. The IUML has two seats in the panchayat while the Congress and CPM have 11 and 9 seats respectively.
Congress emissary
The Congress has sought to stem the rot and its emissary, Vayalar Ravi, met the IUML leadership on Monday to explain that no offence was meant to Panakkad Thangal and others in the IUML.
The IUML leadership did not seem convinced though.
Vayalar Ravi will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the situation.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Oommen Chandy yesterday sought to downplay any rift between the Congress and the IUML, observing that Panakkad Thangal was not only a leader of the IUML but also looked upon as a leader of the UDF coalition.
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