<p>Two days after the Congress mouthpiece in Kerala took potshots at the party’s coalition partner Kerala Congress (M) on its purportedly increasing proximity to the Left, Congress leaders are on damage control mode. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V M Sudheeran on Sunday stopped short of disowning the article that appeared on “Veekshanam” on Friday. <br /><br />Chandy told reporters in Kottayam that the article was “unacceptable” and should have been avoided. “As the party that leads the UDF (United Democratic Front), we have to ensure that our partners are taken into confidence and accorded due respect,” Chandy said. <br /><br />The Congress and KC(M) have recently been engaged in a fresh round of face-offs with leaders from both parties going public with dissent.<br /><br />Repeated “feelers” from the Left to KC(M) chief and Finance Minister K M Mani have in the past upset Congress leaders who maintain that Mani should make his stand on the Left clear in more certain terms. <br /><br />“The Kerala Congress will start weakening the day it starts sharing power with the Communists,” the article on Veekshanam said.</p>
<p>Two days after the Congress mouthpiece in Kerala took potshots at the party’s coalition partner Kerala Congress (M) on its purportedly increasing proximity to the Left, Congress leaders are on damage control mode. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V M Sudheeran on Sunday stopped short of disowning the article that appeared on “Veekshanam” on Friday. <br /><br />Chandy told reporters in Kottayam that the article was “unacceptable” and should have been avoided. “As the party that leads the UDF (United Democratic Front), we have to ensure that our partners are taken into confidence and accorded due respect,” Chandy said. <br /><br />The Congress and KC(M) have recently been engaged in a fresh round of face-offs with leaders from both parties going public with dissent.<br /><br />Repeated “feelers” from the Left to KC(M) chief and Finance Minister K M Mani have in the past upset Congress leaders who maintain that Mani should make his stand on the Left clear in more certain terms. <br /><br />“The Kerala Congress will start weakening the day it starts sharing power with the Communists,” the article on Veekshanam said.</p>
