Living true to its tradition, the Kerala Congress (M) has split with prominent second rung leaders, including party founder leader K.M. George’s son Francis George and two former MLAs, quitting the party and announcing revival of the erstwhile Kerala Congress (J).
The split followed denial of seats to the dissident leaders but, announcing the parting of ways with the KC(M) at a news conference here on Thursday, Mr. Raju insisted that the split was not over denial of seats to them. He claimed that seats were on offer for all three of them. The KC(M) leadership was quick to deny any split in the party and said that the exit of the three leaders would not hurt the party. Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph, who was mentor for all three, said they should not have left the party.
Mr. Raju accused KC(M) chairman K.M. Mani of having brought upon the party the culture of family rule, functioned in an opaque manner while in government bringing disrepute to the party, and his son and party MP Jose K. Mani of having held discussions with BJP president Amit Shah for a possible tie-up between the KC(M) and BJP.
Four out of the seven erstwhile KC(J) high power committee members, including himself, had left the KC(M) because it was not possible to put up with Mr. Mani any longer. State committee of the new party would be formed at a convention to be held here on March 9. The new party would be led by Mr. George, he said.
Mr. Raju, who was quite vocal in defending Mr. Mani when he faced the bar bribery charges, said he had never said that Mr. Mani had not accepted bribe. All that he had said was that there was no provision to register a case against Mr. Mani under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He also claimed that the differences in the party had been snowballing ever since the days of the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports.
There was a strong argument in the party at the time that the party should severe its ties with the Congress, which had betrayed the people of the high ranges. However, they were pacified by the leadership at the time.
He and others, who have now left the KC(M), had not held any formal discussion with the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) or been given any assurance by the LDF leadership, the dissident leader said.
