Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani has alleged that some UDF leaders who thought that he would migrate to the LDF were behind the bar bribery controversy as part of a strategy to keep him with the UDF. Mr Mani said this in an interview given to a channel on Friday.
Close on the heels of this allegation, Mr P.C. George MLA, who parted ways with Mr Mani just before the last Assembly elections, said that he had mediated with LDF leaders as part of a move to ensure the chief minister post to Mr Mani with LDF support. In fact, some LDF leaders had come to Mr Mani’s house to discuss the changeover. However, the talks failed after Mr Mani’s wife and their son Jose K. Mani MP intervened to ensure that Mr Mani stayed with the UDF.
However, Mr Mani did not name the leaders who had conspired to implicate him in the bar bribe case saying that the party had found out the leaders behind the conspiracy. “I am not naming anybody due to my decency. In politics, we cannot reveal everything as that will hurt certain people. The people know everything, so there is no need for more explanation,” Mr Mani said.
Referring to the controversy over former chief minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala attending bar owner Biju Ramesh’s daughter’s engagement, Mr Maqni said that there was substance in what KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said about the incident.
However, Mr Chandy later told reporters that he attended the engagement as the bride was the son of his colleague Adoor Prakash. “The UDF never put anyone in chains. Anyone can leave the front when they wished,” Mr Chandy said.
