Adoor Prakash Questions Satheesan Over Lack of Consultation in UDF

Prakash said several important government decisions were reaching him through the media rather than through discussions within the alliance. He also pointed to the absence of recent UDF meetings, saying that the Chief Minister, as chairman of the coalition, was responsible for initiating them.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Prakash said his position as UDF convenor frequently led party workers and the media to seek his response on government decisions. He said he was finding it difficult to answer such questions when he himself had not been briefed on the decisions.

According to Prakash, the UDF coordination committee has not met since July 30, despite an earlier understanding that the alliance would meet regularly. He said several matters requiring consultation remained pending.

The immediate issue behind his public criticism appeared to be recent appointments made by the state government. Prakash referred to the appointment of Indian Union Muslim League leader M.K. Muneer as chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission and Forward Bloc leader G. Devarajan as Kerala's representative in New Delhi, with both positions carrying Cabinet rank.

Prakash clarified that he was not questioning the eligibility of either appointee. His objection, he said, was that the decisions had not been discussed with him in his capacity as UDF convenor.

He said he would communicate his concerns to the All India Congress Committee, noting that his appointment as UDF convenor had been made by the party's central leadership.

Prakash also said that he did not want his remarks to be interpreted simply as a complaint against the Chief Minister. Instead, he said he was making his concerns public because people were increasingly approaching him for information about matters on which he had not been consulted.

The disagreement comes several months after the UDF returned to power in Kerala. The alliance held a meeting on July 30 to review the government's work and discuss its priorities, but Prakash said no subsequent meeting had taken place.

He also commented on the recent local-body bypoll results, which he said should prompt the alliance to pay greater attention to organisational coordination. Earlier, Prakash had said the results were a reminder for the UDF to address problems at the local level.

Asked about the controversy surrounding the Chief Minister's use of a chartered aircraft, Prakash said Satheesan should explain the matter to the public.

Prakash's remarks publicly expose differences over consultation and decision-making within the ruling alliance at a time when the new UDF government is still settling into office.