The State Congress leadership has chosen not to respond in any definitive manner to the accusations levelled against it and the United Democratic Front (UDF) by Kerala Congress (M) chairman K.M. Mani.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy evaded questions from reporters on the subject with the plea that he would rather wait till the Kerala Congress (M) announced its decision on whether or not to remain in the UDF.
Even though he also took a similar stance, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran said Mr. Mani had never communicated any grievance in the forums of the UDF. “It would be inappropriate for me to say anything based merely on media reports. Let them announce their decision, and then we will respond to it,” Mr. Sudheeran said.
However, second-rung leaders were not as patient as Mr. Chandy or Mr. Sudheeran. Talking to television channels, KPCC spokesperson Joseph Vazhakkan said Mr. Mani appeared to be facing an image crisis and was trying to wriggle out of it by severing his ties with the Congress and the UDF.
Kerala Congress (B) leader R. Balakrishna Pillai, who is currently in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), was even more scathing and said Mr. Mani’s real plan was to get into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as he would not be welcomed by the LDF leadership.
Commenting on the reports that Mr. Mani is moving out of the UDF, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said it would be suicidal for him to take his party into the NDA and there would be only he and his son in the party if he were to do so.
