Changes in political equations likely in Kerala as Assembly polls approach

With the Assembly elections in the offing, Kerala is witnessing chances of changes in political equations with the NCP, which is a coalition partner of CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), exploring options of joining the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

The fresh political undercurrents have their root in the dispute over the Pala assembly seat in Kottayam district.

NCP’s Mani C Kappan won the Pala seat in the bye-election held in 2019 following the death of Kerala Congress (M) founder leader K M Mani, who has been holding the seat over 50 years in a row.

Mani’s son and Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani led faction of Kerala Congress, that recently joined the LDF, is likely to stake a claim for the Pala seat as Jose already openly stated that Pala seat was a sentimental one for the party. But Mani C Kappan is firm on his stand that he would contest in Pala seat in the coming Assembly polls.

With a tussle in the Left Front quite obvious over the Pala seat, the Congress camps are also learnt to be fishing in the troubled waters by wooing the NCP to the UDF. AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar, who has been deputed to Kerala to settle in the infights in Congress, was also learnt to be holding parallel talks with leaders of NCP as he is a former NCP leader.

The NCP is divided over joining the Congress camp and hence even a split in NCP Kerala unit cannot be ruled out. NCP national leaders were also learnt to be intervening in the issue.

Sources said that there were also discussions of offering another winnable seat close to Pala constituency to Mani C Kappan and thereby pacify him and end the tussle.

Meanwhile, former Kerala Congress (M) leader P C George, who won by contesting as an independent candidate in last Assembly election, is also now exploring the options of allying with the Congress. Though he joined the NDA during the Lok Sabha polls, the tie-up did not last long.

Youth Congress presses for more seats

The Youth Congress demanded that youths should be given preference in the Assembly election candidate selection. Those who have been continuously contesting should be replaced with youths and youths should be fielded in seats where the UDF had been getting defeated continuously, the Youth Congress demanded.