Kerala tribal leader CK Janu expresses desire to join Congress-led UDF

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 13 (IANS) Prominent tribal leader C.K. Janu on Monday announced her wish to join the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, stating that she has communicated her decision to the alliance leadership without setting any preconditions.

The 55-year-old leader first rose to prominence two decades ago when she spearheaded a historic agitation by landless tribal communities at Muthanga village in Wayanad in 2003 under the banner of the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS).

The agitation, aimed at pressuring the state government to honour its 2001 land allotment promise, turned violent after police opened fire, killing a police officer and a tribal protester. The then Chief Minister A. K. Antony came under intense criticism for handling the incident.

Janu emerged from that protest as a strong voice for tribal rights. She began her political journey aligned with the Left movement. She, however, later charted an independent course.

In 2016, she floated her own political outfit, Janathipathya Rashtriya Sabha (JRS), and contested the Kerala Assembly elections from Sultan Bathery in alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), though unsuccessfully. The JRS exited the NDA earlier this year, and Janu has since been exploring a political realignment.

Janu’s decision to align with the UDF is viewed as a strategic shift ahead of the upcoming local body elections and the 2026 Kerala Assembly polls.

However, sources within the Congress have said that the party is reportedly ambivalent about inducting her.

Wayanad, represented in the Lok Sabha by Priyanka Gandhi, has a sizeable tribal population, and observers believe that her entry could help the UDF strengthen its outreach among tribal communities.

With Kerala set to face local body elections later this year and Assembly polls in April-May next year, the UDF is keen to widen its social base through strategic alliances.

Despite some internal resistance, the absence of preconditions from Janu is expected to work in her favour, making her formal entry into the UDF increasingly likely.

--IANS

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