The Congress political affairs committee (PAC) on Tuesday endorsed the Kottayam DCC’s resolution accusing Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] chairman K.M. Mani and his son Jose K. Mani of political opportunism in wresting the Kottayam district panchayat president’s post with the help of the CPI(M).
The PAC unanimously came out strongly against Mr. Mani and his son, terming their act as a betrayal. However, the party decided not to end its ties with the KC(M) in the local bodies as a tactical line. Later, KPCC president M.M. Hassan told reporters that the KC(M)’s stand was an act of betrayal. It was Mr. Jose K. Mani who gave the leadership, with the tacit approval of Mr. Mani. A large section of the KC(M) workers had opposed the it.
Mr. Hassan said the ties in the local bodies with the KC(M) was on a different level. The party had, therefore, decided to continue them, even while accepting the departure of the KC(M) from the UDF. Mr. Mani and his son were solely responsible for this.
‘Opportunistic politics’
Mr. Hassan turned the gun on the CPI(M) for following opportunistic politics. The party had made bar bribery case a strong campaign point in the last Assembly election. The CPI(M) had now come up with an extraordinary explanation that it had supported a Mr. Mani to fight against corruption, he said.
The KPCC, however, termed P.J. Kurien’s remarks against Mr. Mani as his personal opinion.
Despite all the high voltage activity of the past two days, the PAC appeared to have observed restraint while criticising the KC(M). The decision not to upset local alliances has left the door a shade open for rapprochement, but given the low levels of trust between the two parties, it remains to be seen whether the arrangement will hold.
