KOTTAYAM: Continuing the Kerala Congress parties’ legacy of splits, splinter group Kerala Congress (Jacob) on Friday further split into two groups. With factional divide between party leader and MLA Anoop Jacob and chairman Johnny Nellore reaching a crescendo, both leaders parted ways by convening separate meetings of their own factions in Kottayam.
The KC (Jacob) was pushed into a vertical split as a continuation of the factional fight and ensuing split in Kerala Congress (M). Earlier, the divide between Anoop and Johnny widened over suggestions for a merger with P J Joseph-led KC(M) faction. While Anoop, who had earlier held discussions with Joseph, dropped merger plans after discussing the matter in the party forum, Johnny pressed ahead with the merger move.
According to Johnny, his faction would merge with Joseph’s faction at a function to be held in Ernakulam on February 29. At the same time, the group led by Anoop will stay as an independent party in the United Democratic Front.
Johnny alleged that Anoop’s selfishness has destabilised the party and the merger is inevitable to keep up the interest of the party workers. “I would prefer to remain as an ordinary worker of the Kerala Congress led by P J Joseph than staying as the chairman of a much smaller outfit,” he said in Kottayam.
Johnny said KC (Jacob)’s high-power committee and state committee meetings held on Friday formally accorded permission to proceed with the merger plan.
At the same time, the state committee meeting convened by Anoop Jacob at the committee office reported an earlier decision by the high-power committee to wind up the merger plans. In the wake of Johnny going against the party decision, the state committee resolved to constitute a three-member commission to initiate disciplinary action against him. “You cannot really call it a split if only a handful of people are leaving an organisation,” Anoop said.
Jose K Mani firm on Kuttanad seat
Kottayam: Denying reports that Congress will take over the Kuttanad assembly seat from Kerala Congress (M) in the upcoming byelection in view of continuing factionalism in his party, Jose K Mani, leader of the Jose faction, said the party is not ready for a compromise with regard to the seat. “Kuttanad was given to KC(M) after we handed over the Punalur seat to Congress as per the seat-sharing agreement in UDF during the 2011 assembly elections. There is no doubt that the KC(M) candidate will contest for UDF in the upcoming byelection in Kuttanad,” he said.