Former Kerala Minister KM Mani, chairman of the Kerala Congress (M) which had severed its 30-year-long alliance with the Congress-led Opposition UDF recently, on Thursday made it clear that his party would not join the CPI(M)-headed ruling lDF. Mani’s party had left the Congress-led front on August 7 saying that it would keep an equidistance policy with regard to the UDF, lDF and the BJP-led NDA.
The assertion by Mani, who had resigned as Finance Minister in the erstwhile Government following the accusations of accepting bribe from bar owners, about not joining any coalition came in response to the position taken by the CPI, second biggest lDF constituent, that the KC(M) could not be allowed to cooperate with the left even in agitations against the Centre.
“I can’t understand why the CPI is feeling worried when it hears the name of the Kerala Congress (M). This has been happening for a long time. We have already stated that we are not going (to join any of the three coalitions). Then why is the CPI worried about us this muchIJ” Mani asked while responding to the position taken by the State executive of the CPI.
The CPI has taken a firm stand against letting Mani’s party enter the lDF rejecting totally the line adopted by front leader CPI(M) that the NDA should not be allowed to cash in on the infirmities of the UDF by absorbing the parties leaving that front, which effectively means that the left should at least be ready to cooperate with the KC(M).
State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had written an article in party organ Deshabhimani daily about the left’s need to adopt such a strategy and the paper had also published an editorial reflecting the same view. But State CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran vehemently opposed the Marxist move .
Indicating that the CPI was feeling that its position in the lDF would get weakened if the KC(M) joined it, Mani said, “The CPI, which is known for selling its seats for money, need not give us lessons in political morality.” There were allegations that money was involved in the candidature of a person from outside the CPI in the Thiruvananthapuram seat in the last lok Sabha election.
A report presented by Kanam Rajendran in a meeting of the State CPI executive the other day said that the left could not consider having an alliance or any kind of cooperation with the KC(M). The party also decided to air its strong opposition if any such proposal came up during the lDF meeting on August 30.
According to observers, it will not be easy for Mani to find a berth for his party in the left as far as the CPI sticks to its stand. Also, nonagenarian Marxist and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, perhaps the most popular politician in the State still, is also against the idea of inducting the KC(M) into the left, they point out.
“Mani’s options are now limited. Heavyweights in the Congress have already spoken against bringing Mani back to the UDF. Also, it is not easy for him to take the KC(M) to the NDA camp as a large section in the party is against that idea. Rumour is that some of Mani’s friends in the UDF are lobbying for bringing his back into the front in this context,” said a senior journalist.
Johny Nelloor, chairman of the Kerala Congress (J), a minor UDF partner, wanted the Congress high command’s intervention for bringing the KC(M) back to the coalition. “The KC(M)’s problems are with the Congress. If Kerala’s Congress leadership is unable to deal with the issue, the high command should intervene,” said Nelloor in Kozhikode on Thursday.