KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress (M) working president PJ Joseph on Wednesday sought to distance himself from chairman K.M. Mani's tough stand against the Congress party saying it should not alone be blamed for the delay in issuing title deeds to farmers.
Mr Mani had in the party's mouthpiece Pratichaya revealed his inclination towards the LDF and called the Congress as anti-farmer. He also recollected his party joining farmers' struggle led by the late CPM leader A.K. Gopalan in 1974.
He had also criticised BJP also being non-sympathetic with farmers like the Congress, in an apparent message to CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who demanded the KC (M) to make its mind clear on an alliance with the LDF.
The CPM district meet also had in its report appreciated the two joining hands to wrest Kottayam district panchayat from the Congress and suggested a similar strategy in other places too.
Lending credence to speculations and rejecting Mr Joseph's position, his son and party vice-chairman Jose K. Mani said what was mentioned in the article was the official stand.
Mr Joseph and his supporters are of the view that the party should not join the LDF and instead put pressure for an alliance with the UDF, mainly due to the pro-UDF tilt of their constituencies including his Thodupuzha and Mons Joseph's Kaduthuruthy.
He is also not too happy to go back to the LDF with which he severed ties earlier in 2010 May to merge with Mr Mani's party.
