KOTTAYAM: With the UDF leadership toughening its stance against the Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) over the latter’s decision to stay away from the no-confidence motion, Jose and team appear to be on their way out of the coalition. Unless the emergence of a political exigency or any dramatic development, a meeting of the UDF slated for September 3 will formally expel the Jose faction from the coalition. The UDF is learnt to have closed their ranks in their move to oust the faction. At the same time, Jose faction leaders are of the view that no stringent action will be taken by the coalition as there was no option for the Jose faction than to abstain from voting as the UDF had earlier declared its ouster.
“We could have done nothing as the UDF chairman had announced that we have been ousted. There was no initiative to take us back to the fold as well,” said a Jose faction leader, who wishes to come back to the UDF fold. “Instead of making an ultimatum to vote for the UDF, they should have initiated steps to settle the issues,” the top leader said.
Meanwhile, a section in the Jose faction is keen on migrating to the LDF camp in view of the UDF’s tough stance. This was evident from the statement of Jose faction MLA N Jayaraj. “KC(M) is not in a position to study the political legacy of K M Mani from any others. KC(M) has taken a stance that upheld party’s political entity. However, it was the UDF leadership which ousted the us, violating all the limits of political courtesy,” Jayaraj said.