Problem of plenty

With many predicting the United Democratic Front (UDF) will win the assembly polls in Kerala next year, several Opposition parties are making a beeline for joining it. The Kerala Congress (Secular), led by P C George, got a backdoor entry into the UDF by merging with the UDF’s main constituent, the Kerala Congress (Mani). The Janata Dal led by M P Veerendrakumar was the next to enter the UDF; the Indian National League (INL), which is also a part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), has now decided to quit the front to join the UDF. The latest to join the UDF is likely to be the Kerala Congress (Joseph). Though its leader P J Joseph is a minister in the LDF ministry, it is also toying with the idea of associating with the UDF and plans to merge with the Kerala Congress (Mani).