KANNUR: Factionalism in the Kerala Congress has come out in the open just a day after the election day was announced, with two state secretaries of Kerala Congress(M), A J Joseph and Mathew Kunnampally, and four state secretariat members in the district deciding to quit the party to support the Francis George group. Joseph claimed that almost 90 percent of the party workers of Kerala Congress (Joseph) have quit the party to join the Francis George group, who have decided to associate with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front. Mathew Kunnampally said that all of them were the supporters of Kerala Congress P J Joseph faction who merged with the Kerala Congress (M). ‘
’But, the growing influences of Mani and his family in the party and the incapability of the party to address the crisis of rubber farmers forced us to quit the party,’’ he said. The leaders said that they have already given their resignation to the state leadership of Kerala Congress(M). They have decided to attend the meeting called by Francis George faction in Ernakulam on March 9. The incident would be a jolt to the UDF, which had been reeling under tremendous pressure following various allegations and charges against its ministers.