JOIN USThe merger happened unmindful of the Congress party’s opposition to the KC(J)’s backdoor entry into the UDF. The new party “for the time being’’ will be known as KC(M). The KC(J), led by P J Joseph, was a constituent of the ruling LDF till recently when it decided to leave the front after 20 years and get back to its mother party, the KC(M), the number three party in the Opposition UDF.
However, the Congress, which leads the UDF, has been bitterly opposed to the entry of Joseph against whom it has run campaigns in the past. The Congress says that the UDF cannot allocate additional seats to the KC(M) because of the merger. “They will themselves have to face, whatever be the consequences of this merger,’’ said Kerala PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala.
Speaking after the historic merger in Kottayam, KC(M) chairman K M Mani said that the merger would make the new outfit a strong regional party.