THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A week after Kerala Congress (Mani) chief K. M. Mani left the UDF, he came down heavily on its leadership saying the UDF never returned the kind of faith his party had in it. Addressing his state committee meeting at Kottayam Mammen Mappillai Hall, he said joining the NDA was not on his party's agenda.
Mr Mani unleashed his ire when the UDF has kept its doors open for him alleging that it had hatched a conspiracy joining hands with his enemies to insult him and his colleagues. He said there was no other way but to leave when he realised people with him had turned foes.
“Kerala Congress has never promised that we will be a slave of the Congress. The party has its self-esteem and individuality. We have always reacted at the appropriate time. The decision to leave the UDF was taken unanimously by the party leaders with a heavy heart and we felt that we were leaving home,” said Mani.
He also claimed that KC (M) is the only party to give pension to farmers in the country. He will stand as a "messiah towards farmer’s woes and issues." He claimed to have proved within a week that his party could stand alone in the crowd. “There is no stability in the ancestral home of the UDF. Some leaders looked upon us with scepticism in our growth,” he said. Holding that his party has not held any talks with the NDA, he sad its fight would be against communalism and murder politics.
“KC (B) chief R. Balakrishna Pillai, Kerala Congress (Francis George) faction leaders like Francis George and Antony Raju along with independent legislator P. C. George are against Mr Mani joining the LDF. If he comes to the LDF they will be armed with six MLAs whereas they don’t have a single MLA in their fold except P. C. George,” said a top KC (M) source.
