Kottayam: Kerala’s political landscape, well-settled for the last the last three-and-a-half decades, received a major jolt on Sunday when the Kerala Congress (Mani) chose to sever its relations with the United Democratic Front (UDF) and decided to sit as a separate block in the state Assembly. The party also announced that will have no truck with either the Left Democratic Front (LDF) or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and that it will not upset the existing UDF arrangements in local self-government bodies and cooperatives.
Announcing the decisions after a special two-day conclave of the party’s senior leaders from across the state at Charalkunnu in Pathanamthitta district, party chairman K.M Mani said the party and he as its leader had suffered humiliation at the hands of a section of the Congress leadership. He listed the hounding by the Congress in the bar bribery case which led to his resignation as finance minister from the last UDF ministry as one of the reasons behind the decision to snap ties with the formation.
The decision, taken by the conclave, was ratified by the party steering committee. The Kerala Congress(M) was one of the key constituents of the UDF which was formed in 1981 under then Congress leader K. Karunakaran. The UDF, with minor changes in its structure, has come to power at regular intervals in Kerala, alternating with the LDF. The animosity between the Congress and the Kerala Congress had been growing for the past few months after Mr Mani was forced to resign as the finance minister.
The Kerala Congress resented that while the Congress chose to go slow in the cases against then excise minister K. Babu who was also an accused in the case, it showed no leniency to Mr Mani. “A section in the Congress leadership tested our patience, but we continued with the alliance because of our political decency,” Mr Mani told reporters. “However, some Congress leaders perceived us as enemies. This cannot be allowed anymore.”
Mr Mani alleged that the Congress formed special committees to defeat his party’s candidates, including him, in the Assembly elections. Asked specifically if former chief minister Oommen Chandy was behind the moves, Mr Mani said, “I am not naming anyone. Those responsible for these acts will understand this.” Mr Mani asserted that his party will not come back to the UDF. “We leave wishing them well,” he said. “We do so with the heavy heart of a son who leaves his home.” The decision to snap the ties was taken rather late, he said.
