United Democratic Front (Kerala)

For the political alliance in Mizoram, see United Democratic Front (Mizoram).

United Democratic Front
AbbreviationUDF
ChairmanV. D. Satheesan
FounderK. Karunakaran
Founded1979; 45 years ago (1979)
Headquarters"Indira Bhavan", Vellayambalam, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala
Student wingThe United Democratic Students' Front (UDSF)
IdeologyBig tent
Factions
Political positionCentre[5]
AllianceI.N.D.I.A
Seats in Lok Sabha
18 / 20
(Kerala)
Seats in Rajya Sabha
3 / 9
(Kerala)
Seats in Kerala Legislative Assembly
41 / 140

The United Democratic Front (UDF) is the Indian National Congress-led alliance of centre to centre-right political parties in the Indian state of Kerala.[5] It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the other being Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front, each of which has been in power alternately since 1980 E. K. Nayanar ministry.[6] Most of the United Democratic Front constituents are members of the Indian National Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at pan-India level.

United Democratic Front was created by the Indian National Congress (then known as Congress-Indira) party leader K. Karunakaran in 1979, as a successor to the existing Congress-led alliance.[7] The alliance first came to power in 1981 (K. Karunakaran ministry) and has won elections to the state legislature of Kerala in the years 1982 (Karunakaran ministry),[8] 1991 (Karunakaran and A. K. Antony ministries),[9] 2001 (Antony and Oommen Chandy ministries),[10] and 2011 (Oommen Chandy ministry).[11] The alliance currently acts as the opposition in the state legislature of Kerala (after the 2021 legislative assembly election). United Democratic Front leaders V. D. Satheesan and K. Sudhakaran currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President respectively.[12]

The alliance currently consists of Indian National Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Jacob), Revolutionary Socialist Party and a variety of other smaller parties. The alliance follows big tent policy and includes a variety political parties.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Heller, Patrick (18 April 2020). "A virus, social democracy, and dividends for Kerala". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. ^ "UDF had a chance in Kerala. Then Congress played a dangerous communal game". 24 March 2021.
  3. ^ "New curriculum to teach masturbation homosexuality: IUML leader Abdurahiman Randathani". ...the Congress-led UDF opposition contended in the Kerala assembly that the gender neutral views in the education policy will result in "negation of religion" and "sexual anarchy."
  4. ^ "CPI-M opposes Kerala move to privatise drinking water scheme". 30 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b "India's election results were more than a 'Modi wave'". Washington Post. Retrieved 31 May 2019. The BJP's primary rival, the centrist Indian National Congress (Congress), won only 52 seats.
  6. ^ "Election history of Kerala". CEO Kerala. Chief Election Officer, Kerala.
  7. ^ PTI (23 December 2010). "Who was K Karunakaran?". NDTV. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Congress(I) leader Karunakaran sworn in as Kerala CM". India Today. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  9. ^ Isaac, T. M. Thomas; Kumar, S. Mohana (1991). "Kerala Elections, 1991: Lessons and Non-Lessons". Economic and Political Weekly. 26 (47): 2691–2704. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 4398338.
  10. ^ Menon, Girish (14 May 2001). "LDF swept out in Kerala". Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  11. ^ Anantha Krishnan (13 May 2011). "This story is from May 13, 2011 Kerala assembly elections 2011: UDF wins by narrow margin". Times of India. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. ^ Chandran, Cynthia (3 October 2020). "MM Hassan takes charge as the UDF convener". The New Indian Express.