Mani gets a day to decide; risks being told to quit 

The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala has informally served an ultimatum on defiant Finance Minister KM Mani to take a decision on resigning or risk being told to do it. 

This came on a day when the entire ruling coalition, except his own Kerala Congress (Mani), asked for his resignation in view of adverse comments from the High Court in the bar bribery case. 

PROTESTS PLANNED

The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP have threatened to go on state-wide agitation from tomorrow if Mani decides to hang on in the government which has six months left to complete term. 

Earlier in the day, the UDF failed to hold a scheduled meeting 'due to lack of quorum' but largely because it could not summon the courage to force a decision on Mani and risk its consequences. 

All coalition parties and their leaders had separately asked for the resignation but a decision from the larger UDF platform would have been 'final and binding' on Mani on 'such short notice.'

The UDF needed time to mull over the issue, and decided to wait out fora day to give Mani some breather to voluntarily take a decision to quit failing which he would be asked to do so. 

The government now finds itself in the gravest of crises in the four-and-half-years of its tenure since it has a wafer thin majority of four in the 140-member house. 

The Kerala Congress (Mani) has nine members in all, including Mani, and Thomas Unniyadan has already fired the first salvo in this regard by saying that Mani 'would not resign alone.' 

What was implied in his statement was that the octogenarian Minister would walk out of the government with other members of his party, reducing the government to a minority.  

But this only helped enrage the coalition partners which said this amounted to blackmailing. They would not be bothered if the government were to fall from 'Mani's act of indiscretion.' 

Meanwhile, Mani's party is reportedly facing internal dissension from with, with a faction led by Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph saying that it would not need to resign merely because Mani had to. 

Joseph commands the allegiance of three MLAs and has given clear indications that he would not ask any of his MLAs to 'stand down under any circumstance.' 

In this manner, Mani, who is also Chairman of the State Committee of Finance Ministers on GST, finds himself being isolated not just within the ruling coalition but also his own party. 

Observers are of the view that his resignation is inevitable given the nature of stinging observations made by the High Court and the widespread protests being planned against his continuance as Minister.