KOTTAYAM: Reaffirming his political commitment to the CPM and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had embraced the Kerala Congress (M) during its time of crisis, party chairman Jose K Mani has asserted that the party will remain in the LDF.
In an implicit response to the reported pressure from powerful Christian groups, particularly the Catholic Church, to realign, Jose underscored his stance by listing the party’s contributions to the Christian community.
He made the party’s stand clear after a meeting of the KC(M) steering committee held in Kottayam on Friday. Although there were two strong opinions persisting in the party over shifting political allegiance ahead of the assembly polls, those who opposed the move gained prominence in the steering committee.
Putting an end to days-long speculation, Jose said the shifting of political allegiance was an unopened chapter. “When we were kicked out of the UDF, it was comrade Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPM, who embraced us. We have no hesitation in stating this publicly. Hence, our political stance is firm that we will move ahead with the LDF. There is no need to discuss an unopened chapter,” Jose said.
He also refuted reports of discussions with the UDF, but evaded queries on his phone conversation with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
He presented a comprehensive list of issues where the KC(M) has actively intervened, particularly in support of the Church.
The list included the concerns raised by Church over the forest buffer zone issue, human-animal conflict, crisis in teacher recruitment in aided schools, Forest Amendment Bill, Munambam land dispute, nuns’ arrest in Chhattisgarh, ration cards, inclusion of Sister Mary Benigna’s poem in the syllabus of Class VIII, and declaration of Maundy Thursday as a public holiday.
KC(M) preparing for poll, intends to claim 13 assembly seats, says Jose
Jose, however, said there was retrospection in the party meeting that these interventions could not be effectively communicated to the public.
“KC(M) could make several impactful interventions, more than those of the Opposition. KC(M) was not merely taking public issues or leading some protests, but found effective solutions for them. However, we could not take it to the public,” he said.
Jose added that the party is in preparation for the assembly election and intends to claim 13 assembly seats this time.
“In fact, KC(M) deserves more than 13 seats, and we will raise it in the coalition platform. We are determined to reclaim the Kuttiyadi seat, which was previously allocated to the CPM in the last election as part of bilateral agreements,” Jose said.
He also confirmed his participation as the rally captain in the Kerala Yatra during its tour of the Central Kerala region. He dismissed any internal dissent within the party, affirming that all five MLAs will adhere to the decisions made by the party leadership. The meeting also authorised the party chairman to initiate the process of selecting candidates for the assembly polls.
Indicating his candidature in Pala assembly constituency, Jose said KC (M) performed well in the constituency as LDF won 47 grama panchayat wards in the recent local body election, compared to 44 in the previous election. Additionally, the LDF secured a lead in the Pala assembly constituency.