UDF opens doors to Anvar, Janu & VSDPS ahead of assembly polls; maintains ‘wait and watch’ on Kerala Congress (M)

Kochi: In a significant political development ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday decided to expand its alliance by inducting three parties as associate members.

Opposition Leader VD Satheesan announced that former Nilambur MLA PV Anvar, State Convenor of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in Kerala; tribal activist CK Janu, who heads the Janadhipathya Rashtriya Party (JRP); and Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, Chairman of the Vaikunda Swamy Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDPS), will join the UDF. 

Briefing the media after the UDF coordination committee meeting here on Monday, Satheesan said the parties had extended “unconditional support” to the front. The move marks a strategic shift by the Opposition front as it seeks to consolidate anti-LDF forces and broaden its political base in the State.

“All these parties approached us with a request to be part of the UDF. They have not raised any demands. The coordination committee discussed the matter and decided to induct them into the alliance,” Satheesan said. He added that the three parties would be granted associate membership initially and could be considered for full-fledged ally status at a later stage after assessing their activities and performance. 

“The UDF decided to induct them as associate members based on the written requests submitted by their leaders. We will hold further discussions with them to strengthen the alliance ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections. With this move, the UDF aims to broaden its base and emerge as a wider platform that welcomes parties and individuals from diverse political streams,” he said. 

The decision assumes significance as Satheesan had earlier strongly opposed any attempt by Anvar to align with the UDF. He had firmly discouraged any form of association with Anvar during the Nilambur bypoll as well as during the recent local body elections. The latest move reflects a clear change in strategy as the Assembly elections draw closer. Anvar had quit the Left Democratic Front (LDF) earlier and had been keen on joining the UDF. 

Janu had severed ties with the NDA in August after publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the way her party was treated by the BJP leadership in Kerala. The VSDPS was also an ally of the NDA. Meanwhile, the VSDPS chairperson, Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, dismissed claims that he had joined the UDF, stating that he continues to serve as the vice-chairperson of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Satheesan said clear directions had been issued to all UDF leaders not to enter into any kind of understanding or alliance with either the BJP or the CPM at the local level to run local governments under any circumstances. He also stated that many individuals, including those who were previously fellow travellers of the LDF, would be joining the UDF in the coming days. 

Meanwhile, though the Congress leadership maintained that no discussions were formally held regarding the possible induction of Jose K Mani-led Kerala Congress (M), reports suggested that the issue did come up during deliberations, with the Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction expressing strong opposition.

Earlier in the day, PJ Joseph told the media that there was currently no situation warranting the inclusion of the Mani faction in the UDF. Indications are that the UDF leadership has adopted a “wait and watch” approach on the matter.

Clarifying the UDF’s position, Satheesan said that while no talks had been held so far, the front “has not shut the door before anyone.” He added that associate members would be invited to UDF meetings and that bilateral discussions would be conducted with them. 

The UDF leadership meeting also reviewed the front’s performance in the local body polls, describing it as the most brilliant victory achieved in the last three decades. Satheesan said the results reflected a strong public sentiment against the state government and credited the victory to the organisational preparedness of the UDF and its constituent parties.

He announced that discussions on the upcoming Assembly elections would begin immediately within the front. Instructions have been issued to complete seat-sharing talks at the earliest to facilitate timely candidate selection. 

It was also decided to organise a UDF-led jatha from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram beginning in the first week of February. “We will soon release the UDF manifesto, which will include several dream projects for the state. The manifesto is being prepared after consultations with subject experts from various sectors.

“Once it is released, the jatha will commence. It will not be a mere political rally, but a programme aimed at explaining our vision and interacting directly with the people on the projects outlined in the manifesto,” Satheesan said.