The United Democratic Front (UDF) has all but shut the door on Jose K. Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)].
A meeting of Opposition leaders via videoconference here on Tuesday decided that Mr. Mani would no more sit at the high-table of the UDF. The front would not expel him. However, it would not invite him to attend coalition meetings. The onus was on Mr. Mani to quit the alliance.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, who chaired the meeting, later told journalists that Mr. Mani had betrayed the UDF and the legacy of his late father K.M. Mani, the founder of KC(M).
The two MLAs in Mr. Mani’s faction, Roshy Augustine and N. Devaraj, had violated party whip and abstained from voting in favour of the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against the LDF government.
‘No more talks’
Mr. Mani engaged in secret negotiations with the LDF even as he broke every intra-party peace agreement brokered by the UDF leadership. The scope for rapprochement is remote. There is no point in further talks, Mr. Chennithala said.
He said propriety demanded that Mr. Mani relinquish the Rajya Sabha seat he won on the UDF ticket. The two MLAs should choose between Mr. Mani and the UDF. If they felt the need to quit the front, they should step down as UDF legislators.
Mr. Chennithala said KC(M) chairman P.J. Joseph was the true inheritor of the Kerala Congress tradition. The UDF seconded Mr. Joseph’s proposal to field Jacob Abraham as its candidate in the Kuttanad byelections. RSP leader Baby John would contest the Chavara seat.
IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty, Mr. Joseph, RSP leader Shibu Baby John, AIFB secretary G. Devarajan and CMP leader C.P. John attended the meeting.