<p>A leadership meeting of regional party Kerala Congress (M) on Friday decided to remain with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front.</p><p>Party chairman Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani said after the meeting that there was no question of leaving the LDF. </p>.Kerala Congress (M) denies switching alliance as steering committee meets in Kottayam.<p>"The LDF and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held us together after we were expelled from the Congress-led United Democratic Front in 2020. Hence, for KC(M) entry to the UDF is a closed chapter now. The UDF could have realised the importance of KC(M) and hence they could have kept the doors open for us," Jose K Mani told reporters.</p><p>There were reports that even AICC leader Sonia Gandhi spoke to Jose over phone as part of Congress's efforts to bring back the party to the UDF considering its considerable influence in the Christian belts of central Kerala.</p><p>However, Jose said that there were no such moves.</p><p>Differences within the KC(M) over returning to the UDF and Pinarayi Vijayan's direct intervention were learnt to have made the KC(M) shut doors at Congress.</p><p>KC(M), which contested 12 seats in the 2021 election and won five, will be seeking more seats from LDF this time. Jose said that the party would contest in at least 13 seats. He didn't clarify whether he would contest from Pala in Kottayam, the seat that was held by his father K M Mani for over 50 years in a row till his death. Jose got defeated in the seat in 2021.</p>
<p>A leadership meeting of regional party Kerala Congress (M) on Friday decided to remain with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front.</p><p>Party chairman Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani said after the meeting that there was no question of leaving the LDF. </p>.Kerala Congress (M) denies switching alliance as steering committee meets in Kottayam.<p>"The LDF and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held us together after we were expelled from the Congress-led United Democratic Front in 2020. Hence, for KC(M) entry to the UDF is a closed chapter now. The UDF could have realised the importance of KC(M) and hence they could have kept the doors open for us," Jose K Mani told reporters.</p><p>There were reports that even AICC leader Sonia Gandhi spoke to Jose over phone as part of Congress's efforts to bring back the party to the UDF considering its considerable influence in the Christian belts of central Kerala.</p><p>However, Jose said that there were no such moves.</p><p>Differences within the KC(M) over returning to the UDF and Pinarayi Vijayan's direct intervention were learnt to have made the KC(M) shut doors at Congress.</p><p>KC(M), which contested 12 seats in the 2021 election and won five, will be seeking more seats from LDF this time. Jose said that the party would contest in at least 13 seats. He didn't clarify whether he would contest from Pala in Kottayam, the seat that was held by his father K M Mani for over 50 years in a row till his death. Jose got defeated in the seat in 2021.</p>