Did not invite KM Mani to LDF, says Pannyan Raveendran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI state secretary Pannyan Raveendran on Saturday denied that he had invited Finance Minister K.M. Mani to the LDF as claimed by the Kerala Congress.

“No one can even think of inviting Mani to the LDF because the Left Front is a cohesive group. No individual can take such a decision unilaterally,” he said.  

The CPI leader’s denial came in the wake of Kerala Congress’s  hard hitting statement against him earlier in the day.

The Kerala Congress had claimed that Mr Pannyan was the first to invite Mr Mani saying that he was experienced and competent to become the chief minister of the state.

“What is the logic behind the same CPI state secretary now going around and speaking about the ineligibilities of Mani? it asked.

The party said that the Kerala Congress or Mani had not gone after anyone with the application to include them in the LDF.

It launched an all-out attack on Mr Pannyan alleging that the CPI leader had come under severe criticism within his own party on the issue of payment seat scam involving the candidature of Dr Bennet Abraham from Thiruvananthpauram constituency in the last Lok Sabha polls.