Congress' plans to woo Kerala Congress (M) hits a roadblock

Thiruvananthapuram: The moves by Congress in Kerala to woo regional party Kerala Congress (M) back to the United Democratic Front from the Left Democratic Front hit a roadblock with KC(M) chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani rejecting the moves.

Critical statements by the Kerala Congress party led by P J Joseph, which is a coalition partner in UDF, against KC(M) re-entry to the UDF has resulted in KC(M) nipping in the bud the moves.

Jose K Mani also strongly flayed the critical statements made by P J Joseph and his party colleagues citing that KC(M) was still stronger than the P J Joseph led party in central Kerala.

Concerns over seat sharing seems to be the root cause for the roadblock.

KC(M) had left the UDF in 2020 following the rift within the party subsequent to the death of party founder chairman K M Mani. The leadership tussle led to a split with the official faction led by Jose K Mani joining the LDF as the UDF leadership backed P J Joseph.

Since the KC(M) continues to enjoy influence among the Christian vote banks of central Kerala, a section in the Congress is keen to bring it back to the UDF. Hence Congress leaders including Kerala PCC president Sunny Joseph sent feelers in this regard to KC(M) following the setback suffered by LDF in the local body polls.

However, the P J Joseph led party as well as UDF's independent MLA Mani C Kappan, who had wrested KC(M)'s home turf Pala in Kottayam, were unhappy with the move as they are unwilling to spare their sitting seats. Hence they expressed their displeasure over KC(M)'s entry.