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Sticking to its unstated ‘mission statement’ — Splitting to grow, Growing to split—the Kerala Congress (Mani), the third largest partner in the ruling United Democratic Front, has split once again.
Three second-line leaders of the Christian-majority party announced their departure on Thursday, hoping to find a place in the Left Democratic Front. The three leaders – Francis George, former MP and current Chairman of the government-owned Kerala Feeds Ltd; Antony Raju, Chairman of Travancore Cements Ltd; and, KC Joseph – were general secretaries of the Kerala Congress (Mani).
Announcing the split at a news conference, Antony Raju said the “family rule” imposed by Mani and his alleged move for a tie-up with the “communalist and fascist” BJP were the main reasons for the breakaway. Mani’s son and Kottayam MP Jose K Mani recently held talks with BJP president Amit Shah, he alleged. Kerala Congress (Mani) party, which currently has eight MLAs and a Lok Sabha MP, is itself an alliance of several factions of the Kerala Congress.
The three leaders who broke away belonged to the ‘PJ Joseph group’, headed by Irrigation Minister PJ Joseph, which had reunited with the KC (M) in April 2011. The Joseph group had walked out of the LDF just ahead of the 2011 Assembly elections.
The split, coming ahead of the upcoming elections, is a setback for the 83-year-old Mani, who had resigned as Finance Minister in the Oommen Chandy government in November in the wake of the ‘bar bribery scandal’.
The Kerala Congress party was founded in 1964 by KM George after breaking off from the then Congress Party. In 1977, one faction led by Balakrishna Pillai broke off and founded the KC (B). In 1979, the Mani-led faction founded the Kerala Congress (Mani). Then on, the Kerala Congress history has been one of splits, mergers and splits again. Last year, PC George, Chief Government Whip in the Assembly, left the party and resigned as MLA, thus reducing the KC (M)’s strength to eight.
Mani’s attempt to bring his son Jose K Mani, the party’s lone member in Lok Sabha, as the No. 2 in the party, has been detested by most second-line leaders. The breakaway group is expected to be welcomed to the LDF, but senior CPI (M) leader VS Achuthanandan has sounded caution.
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