Kozhikode : In a significant political development in Kerala, prominent tribal leader C.K. Janu has formally submitted a letter expressing her willingness for her party to join the United Democratic Front (UDF). This move comes barely two months after Janu-led Janathipathya Rashtriya Party (JRP) quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition.
Janu recently held discussions with Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan in Aluva. Sources indicate that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has a special interest in facilitating Janu’s entry into the front. The Congress is reportedly keen on forming an alliance with a tribal party, viewing it as a move that could yield national-level benefits for the party.
The JRP first became a constituent of the NDA in 2016, with Janu contesting the Sultan Bathery assembly seat in the 2016 elections. The party left the front in 2018, only to return in 2021. Their most recent exit from the NDA coalition was on August 30, 2025. Janu is now preparing to align with the UDF ahead of the upcoming Panchayat elections.
Janu’s potential inclusion was discussed at the UDF meeting held on the 9th of this month. Bringing in a tribal leader from the Wayanad constituency, which is represented by Priyanka Gandhi, is seen as a strategic step that will significantly aid in building the Congress’s image at the national level. With Priyanka Gandhi’s interest now public, Janu’s entry into the UDF is widely expected to be expedited
