The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala on Sunday decided to extend full cooperation and support to the state government in its effort to rebuild landslide-ravaged Wayanad.

The opposition Congress-led UDF on Sunday announced that all its MLAs will contribute one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Sunday said the UDF will take part in all the rehabilitation efforts and work towards restoring normalcy in the lives of the survivors.

Earlier, the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) had announced that its members in the assembly and Parliament would contribute their one month’s salary to the CMDRF.

The decision of the Opposition UDF in this regard assumes significance as the issue of making donations to the CMDRF had created differences within the Congress. Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala ‘s decision to donate his one month’s MLA salary to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) has invited criticism from KPCC president K Sudhakaran on Saturday. The issue has opened a fresh battleground between KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan.

Responding to Chennithala’s decision, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said that Chennithala should not have contributed his salary to the Left government’s relief fund. Chennithala should have donated the amount to the party’s own relief mechanism, K Sudhakaran said on Saturday.

“The Congress party has its own forum to procure funds. All the allied organisations of the party have kicked off fundraising. Chennithala should have donated his salary to that option. It was not right on his part to donate to the CMDRF,” said Sudhakaran.

Rejecting the KPCC president K Sudhakaran’s statement against donating to CMDRF, Satheesan asked everyone to contribute to the CMDRF, stating that this is not the time to play politics.

“There is nothing wrong in paying money to the CMDRF. Sudhakaran should not have blamed Chennithala for his decision to contribute his MLA salary to the CMDRF. It’s not the time to play politics,” Satheesan told media persons in Kozhikode on Saturday.