Ending three-decade long association with Congress, Kerala Congress (Mani), the third major partner in Congress-led Opposition UDF, has quit the alliance
Kerala Congress (Mani), the third major partner in Congress-led Opposition UDF has left the combine adding another embarrassment to the block. Kerala Congress led by veteran KM Mani, finance minister in former UDF governments, has been a part of the UDF apparatus since 1982. The party’s 6 MLAs in the present assembly constituted a powerful ingredient in the UDF tally of 47 MLAs where as the ruling LDF strength is 91 in the 140 member house.
Mani has been an insulted and
dissatisfied leader for the last more than two years, thanks to the bar bribe, involving crores of rupees, alleged against him. Even though the allegation was raised by some bar owners, Mani believed that it was the grand design of the then CM Oommen Chandy for
preempting LDF plan to topple the UDF government by offering the hot seat of CM to Mani. Mani believed this theory. When the LDF went for agitation for the resignation of Mani and a group of Congress leaders campaigned for it Mani had to resign before the assembly elections. But, Excise Minister K. Babu, the Man Friday of Chandy, came back to the cabinet before the elections after a brief resignation drama. It had annoyed Mani sans leaps and bounds. Now, Mani’s party has decided to sit as a separate block in the house with the equidistant policy towards both LDF and UDF. And, it appears that Mani and his blue eyed boys have started a
propaganda that Ramesh Chennithala, the present Opposition leader and Home Minister in Chandy regime, had played some games, using the vigilance
department with his clout as the Minister, to upset Mani’s apple cart.
Now, it looks as if CPM has
conveniently forgotten the agitations they staged demanding Mani’s resignation from the Chandy government and the pandemonium they created in the assembly when Mani presented the state budget of 2014. They are reported to be throwing some feelers into the wind to attract Mani to their fold. They have accepted the Kerala Congress led by R Balakrishna Pillai and supported his son and former Minister Ganeshkumar
during the last assembly election despite their decades long crusade against both. Pillai was even jailed as a consequence of the corruption case
initiated by the CPM veteran and former CM V S Achuthanandan. So, the LDF leaders appear to be in a mood to woo Mani. But, they keep on saying that they are least bothered about Mani since they have comfortable majority in the house.
At the same time, senior BJP leader O Rajagopal MLA has told that his party does not believe in untouchability towards any party. But, Mani has said that he does not intend to join NDA. And, he plays his card safely. He has declared that status quo will be maintained in UDF coalitions in the local self governing bodies where they have been ruling together since the election held in September, 2015.
Now, LDF is all smiles in the 140 strong house with 91 MLAs. But, UDF minus Mani is in an unenviable state. Obviously Congress has been running the UDF apparatus with two crutches: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Malabar and Kerala Congress (M) in the central Travancore and southern Kerala. Now, since Mani has left the alliance, IUML’s bargaining power will go up and Congress will be in a helpless plight. And, they will suffer heavily in the next Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, Mani’s party has got an MP in Lok Sabha, that is, Mani’s son. But, when Mani leaves UDF in Kerala, naturally its LS member will be leaving the UPA block. In short, Congress heads to its worst days something like those of 1967 when they landed up with 9 MLAs in Kerala Assembly.
n T Satisan, Kochi
