KOTTAYAM: Kerala Congress (Democratic) or Janadhipathya Kerala Congress (JKC) witnessed a vertical split on Thursday with party working chairman Dr KC Joseph and vice-chairman Antony Raju deciding to elect a new party chairman after the present chairman Francis George quit the party after taking a decision to join the P J Joseph faction in the KC(M). Earlier, Francis George’s faction had decided to convene a meeting of the party state committee in Muvattupuzha on Friday, to go ahead with merger plans. The faction led by K C Joseph will remain in the LDF.
Countering his move, K C Joseph and Antony Raju decided to convene the party-state committee in Kottayam on Saturday to elect a new chairman. Addressing mediapersons here on Thursday, K C Joseph said the decision by Francis George to join the Joseph group was never discussed in party.
According to him, Francis George himself was present when the party state committee, which met on February 22, decided against a proposal to merge with the KC(M)-Joseph group. Terming the meeting to be convened by Francis George on Friday as a mere ‘group meeting’, he also claimed the support of the majority of the district units and feeder organisations.
Antony Raju said the core focus of the party was to constitute an alternative to the concept of United Kerala Congress having its foundations on individuals or families. “We have decided to leave the KC(M) four years ago in protest against the anti-farmer stance adopted by K M Mani and P J Joseph following the Kasturirangan report. By returning to the KC(M) fold, Francis is contradicting his ideological position,” he said. Party deputy chairman P C Joseph also attended the press meet.
Francis George will be the second prominent Kerala Congress leader after Johnny Nelloor to join the Joseph group. Francis George is expected to be accompanied by senior leaders, including former MP Vakkachan Mattathil, general secretary (office charge) M P Poly and Thomas Kunnappally.