Kappan may switch sides, NCP to stay in Left camp

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is ready to welcome Kappan into the fold.
MLA Mani C Kappan (Photo | ENS)
MLA Mani C Kappan (Photo | ENS)

KOTTAYAM: Nationalist  Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C Kappan has decided that he will contest from the Pala assembly seat whatever happens, giving a clear indication that he may finally leave LDF even as his party remains in the ruling front.Kappan and party state president T P Peethambaran, who have been camping in New Delhi for the past three days, seem to have got the message from NCP supremo Sharad Pawar to remain with the Left front.

Pawar, who is trying to build a nationwide coalition of non-Congress opposition parties to take on the BJP, would want to ensure that NCP’s Kerala unit remains with the CPM-led LDF in the state, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF is ready to welcome Kappan into the fold. “We will welcome him if he comes alone or as a group,” Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said.Kappan contesting from Pala on the Congress symbol cannot be ruled out, given that he suddenly stands isolated on the contentious issue of Pala seat.

I am waiting for a clear response from my party leadership. Come what may, I’ll contest in Pala,” Kappan said in New Delhi. His criticism of the LDF for not committing the Pala seat, which he had won in  2019 after the death of KC(M) supremo K M Mani, has not gone down well with the senior CPM leaders.

LDF will remain unaffected if Kappan leaves, says Mani

“Mani C Kappan has a track record of losing the elections. He lost the Pala seat three times. He’s only interested in films. Last time (bypolls), our cadre worked hard to get him elected,” CPM leader and Power Minister M M Mani said on Friday. “If he goes, nothing will happen to the party or our front,” he said. 

The minister’s statement shows that the LDF has more or less accepted the reality that Kappan is switching to UDF. According to the UDF camp, Kappan is likely to join Chennithala’s ‘Aishwarya Kerala Yatra’ when it enters Pala on Sunday unless there is a final twist in the tale.

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