THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the seat going to the KC(M), several issues may crop up in the Congress. KC(M), which is not the force that it was earlier with the Joseph faction showing signs of dissent and K M Mani not having an iron hand within the party, the Congress decision is perceived as a political blunder. Sources in the party indicated the KC(M) leadership was never expecting the seat, but it was Chandy who asked Mani to bargain for the seat and roped in the Indian Union Muslim League — and its party national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty — for making the move.
Chandy knows for sure that if Muslim League, the second largest constituent of the UDF after the Congress, is roped in, then it will be easier to convince the party high command to provide the RS seat to the Kerala Congress. Kurien has always been complaining the open attack of the young brigade was with the full blessing of the group leaders of the party and his stand on this issue has come out clear.
Kurien blames Chandy
“It was single-man operation of Oommen Chandy to remove me and he sacrificed the Congress seat for his personal group agenda,” P J Kurien told Express. K M Mani never expected the seat and Oommen Chandy gave the seat to Kerala Congress on a platter.”Asked about the role played by Ramesh Chennithala, Kurien said, “Ramesh had to play second fiddle in this and he went along with Chandy”.“The criticism raised by the young leaders of the party was in fact a creation of Oommen Chandy to make a case against me that my candidature was not unanimous and hence it should go to Kerala Congress,” the veteran leader added.