THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Karingozhakkal Mani Mani or Pala’s own K M Mani has been literally holding sway in a chosen turf in Kerala politics for half a century. For the Kerala Congress leader and proven administrator, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving minister in the state, presenting 13 state budgets and having represented Pala legislative segment in the Assembly for a record 50 years since its inception in 1965 through a dozen victories in a row,it could be an irony of fate that he had to bow out over a few damning remarks passed by the High Court in the Bar scam case.
This is a great and unexpected fall for Mani who is celebrating his golden jubilee of legislatorship this year and viewed by political Kerala as a potential chief minister. He is the Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax a coveted post awarded to him by the Narendra Modi government.
Ever since he stepped out of the Congress in his thirties and held the banner of Kerala Congress, which had drawn strength from the untimely death of the late opposition leader and political doyen P T Chacko,there was no looking back. A barrister, he dabbled with ease in the politics rooted and stemmed among the hilly region-based ryots, and carved a niche for himself in state politics on its strength. The emergence of coalition politics in the seventies under the late K Karunakaran saw him climbing heights and going from strength to strength despite some ups and downs, while the leader-centric Kerala Congress became a synonym for splits and mergers.Mani lost the Chief Minister post in 1979 when the mantle fell on C H Mohammed Koya after the resignation of P K Vasudevan Nair. After two months Mani withdrew his party’s support and felled Koya’s government. But the Congress saw to it that the Assembly was dissolved and Mani’s hope to become chief minister was dashed.
The octogenarian leader’s exit from the Cabinet at this juncture could have political spins in many ways, even when the Left, reportedly after him to topple the UDF government by dangling the bait of chief ministership, is cut up with him after the Bar bribe scam.
Mani has always displayed his uncanny knack of knowing the right pulse of the people as well as keeping a tab on slings and arrows in politics and administrative realm. But for reasons beyond his control, he slipped on the trajectory of the Bar scam.
Mani quit his ministership in the late seventies over an election case and entrusted the Home portfolio he was handling then to P J Joseph. He secured a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court and made a re-entry. Till date, Mani has a track record of bouncing back with renewed vigour against political adversities in his career. He had fought many of his battles on his own. But will it be the same in the Bar scam? Only time can prove.