KOTTAYAM: Jose K Mani-led Kerala Congress (M) faction, which turned down all reconciliation efforts of the UDF leadership to bring them back to the coalition, has expedited steps to join the LDF camp. Though neither the LDF leadership nor Jose K Mani has confirmed that they have started formal talks, both sides have commenced preliminary steps towards the same.
With local body elections nearing, the preliminary discussions are centred on seat sharing and the KC(M) leadership has handed over a list of local body wards from which they wish to contest in various districts to the LDF leaders in the respective regions. In the KC(M) strongholds, the party leadership is learnt to have sought more seats than the UDF had allocated them in the previous elections. However, it is not clear whether the LDF local leaders have accepted the demand. “In Changanassery assembly constituency, we had contested from 59 local body wards in 2015. Since we have a strong presence in the region, we have demanded 74 wards, including in the municipality and grama panchayats,” said a source in the KC(M).
A prominent leader of the KC(M) in Changanassery has handed over the list to the CPM area committee.
The list was prepared as per the directives of Jose K Mani to the district presidents of the party. Jose had held separate meetings with party district presidents after the steering committee meeting in Kottayam on September 6. However, Jose and his close aides have kept the discussions in this regard highly confidential and even the other state leaders are unaware of the development.
The LDF leadership is yet to take a decision on inducting KC(M) into the coalition or reaching an understanding with the party in the upcoming local body elections to assess its “actual strength” before allowing its formal entry into the front. At the same time, KC(M) sources said the LDF leadership and the party have expedited the steps to join hands with the blessings of the CPM leadership.
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Disqualification of Joseph, Mons sought
T’Puram: N Jayaraj, MLA from Kerala Congress (Mani) faction, has filed a petition to Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan seeking disqualification of Joseph faction MLAs P J Joseph and Mons Joseph. Jose faction has sought the disqualification of the two MLAs for violating the whip to stay away from the no-confidence motion discussion against the LDF Government and the Rajya Sabha election which was held on August 24. The Speaker is yet to react on the issue.