KOTTAYAM: As assembly elections draw closer, Kerala’s political battlelines are being redrawn around a familiar axis, with both the UDF and the LDF aggressively wooing Kerala Congress (Mani), whose allegiance could once again prove decisive.
While the Congress leadership, with the backing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has stepped up efforts to bring KC(M) back into the UDF fold, the LDF is offering special consideration to the regional party to keep it within the ruling front, including the state cabinet decision on Wednesday to provide land in Thiruvananthapuram for an institute in memory of K M Mani, the late patriarch of Kerala Congress. The CPM-led front has reportedly promised the KC(M) 13 seats in the upcoming assembly polls.
The UDF, meanwhile, is continuing its efforts to convince KC(M) to switch allegiance to the Congress-led front, through the IUML and a few bishops. The main stumbling block for UDF is to convince Mani C Kappen, its Pala MLA, to vacate the seat for KC(M) chairman Jose K Mani.
KC(M) will remain with LDF: Jose
Amid reports that Kappen of Kerala Democratic Party (KDP) may be asked to contest from a sure-winning seat from Malabar, the Pala MLA on Wednesday met IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty at his residence in Malappuram and conveyed that he would not relinquish the Pala assembly seat.
Amid growing speculation over a possible political realignment by KC(M), Jose’s statement that “where there is KC (M), there will be government” has further fuelled rumours. This, in turn, has prompted the LDF to move quickly to address the concerns of Jose and his team. As part of it, the state government has taken an urgent decision to allocate land for setting up the memorial.
The cabinet decided to lease out 25 cents of land, currently in the possession of the Kerala Water Authority at Vellayambalam, to the KM Mani foundation to set up the KM Mani Memorial Institute for Social Transformation.
Additionally, reports suggested that the LDF may offer 13 seats to KC(M) in the upcoming polls, an increase of one seat from the 2021 elections. Earlier in 2024, the LDF had ceded its Rajya Sabha seat to Jose to preserve its ‘prized possession.’
Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Kottayam, Jose affirmed that KC(M) will remain with the LDF, yet he did not categorically dismiss rumours of discussions facilitated by the Congress high command. “There will be calls from various quarters inviting KC(M). However, KC (M) will remain firm with the LDF. No one needs to be concerned over us. KC(M) has only one stand, which is with the LDF. It is unnecessary to reiterate the party’s stance daily,” he told reporters.
He also dismissed any differences of opinion in the party asserting that all MLAs will adhere to the party’s final decision. “There is no divide within the party. All five MLAs will stand together when the party takes a decision. Various opinions may arise during party discussions, but they will ultimately converge into a unified decision,” he said.
He also dismissed any political significance regarding his absence from the last two LDF meetings. Jose said he will be the captain of the LDF’s Kerala Yatra in its Central Kerala region.