(image for representational purposes)
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Kerala unit of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) will support the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Lok Sabha elections.
The decision to support the UDF came based on the “inference” that the Congress party is leading the INDIA alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said Ashraf Maulavi, Kerala president of SDPI, here on April 1.
The party will not field its candidates in Kerala, though it has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections from 18 seats nationwide, he said.
On the support being extended to the UDF, Mr. Maulavi said the party is also impressed by the announcement by the Congress that it will conduct caste census in the country if voted to power.
On AIADMK tie-up
Asked about the SDPI’s alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, he said the party decided to partner with the AIADMK after the latter snapped its ties with the BJP.
Mr. Maulavi alleged that the failure of the Home department in Kerala resulted in the acquittal of three RSS activists by a court in Kasaragod in connection with the murder of Mohammed Riyas Maulavi, a madrasa teacher. “The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is facing criticism even from within its fold for the unholy alliance with the Sangh Parivar,” he said.
He claimed that the vote share of the party has increased at the Assembly and ward-level after the Lok Sabha election in 2014.