Thiruvananthapuram: The bilateral talks between Congress and UDF partner JSS led by K R Gowri failed today with the latter insisting on its demand for five seats and Congress sticking to its offer of four seats.
Gowri said after the meeting that JSS leaders would meet tomorrow to decide on the next course of action.
Later addressing reporters after the Congress election committee meeting, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said the Congress had offered JSS the maximum number of seats it could afford. “Now it is upto them to take a decision,” he said.
He said another round of talks would be held with leaders of UDF constituents tomorrow.
Chennithala said the list of probable Congress candidates for the coming assembly elections would be submitted to the central scrutiny committee on March 16 and 17 and the final list would be published by March 21.
Union ministers A K Antony and Vayalar Ravi, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Madhusoodan Mistry, Opposition leader Oommen Chandy and senior leaders attended the meeting.
Chennithala said there was a suggestion at the meeting that youth, fresh faces and women should get due representation in the candidates’ list.
Mistry said he would apprise the high command of the views expressed by various leaders at the meeting. To a question, he said no particular leader had presented any list of his own before the meeting. “The Congress will work as one unit for the poll as the leaders are aware of the aspirations of people for a change in governance in the state,” he said.
Earlier at a brief function at the KPCC headquarters, defence minister A K Antony launched the website of United Democratic Front (www.udf.org.in) for the assembly poll.
