The United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday appeared to have offered the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose. K. Mani an opportunity to make a face-saving compromise with the coalition.

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, who chaired a meeting of the alliance, said Mr. Mani could remain in the UDF fold if the group vacated the presidentship of the Kottayam district panchayat in favour of a nominee of the side led by party chairman P.J. Joseph.

(The coalition has restrained Mr. Joseph from creating a public spectacle by moving a no-confidence motion against the district panchayat president. It did not help the UDF that Mr Joseph's faction was in the minority in the panchayat. With barely three months left for the local body elections, the UDF felt the feud was not worth pursuing and ultimately self-defeating.)

Mr. Chennithala appeared to be at pains to point out that the coalition had not ejected Mr. Mani from its membership.

He said the UDF had disinvited Mr. Mani from attending alliance meetings till the factional leader honoured the agreement brokered by the Opposition front.

The groups led by Mr. Mani and Mr. Joseph were locked in a protracted and bitter feud over the presidentship of the panchayat.

Credibility at stake

The UDF meeting felt that the public wrangling had chipped away at the credibility of the coalition and threatened its cohesion.

It had also purportedly cost the UDF the Pala Assembly seat in the byelection prompted by the death of KC(M) founder K.M. Mani. The UDF leadership had repeatedly asked both factions to make peace with each other. The Indian Union Muslim League had led the negotiations.

However, Mr. Mani did not keep his side of the bargain. He did not hand over the presidentship to Mr. Joseph’s nominee. The meeting felt that Mr. Mani had crossed a line when he publicly denied the peace deal.

The UDF had merely put Mr. Mani on notice and not expelled his faction, he said.