A day after deciding to abstain from the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s campaign for Jose Tom Pulikkunnel in Pala, the Congress has kick started efforts to ease the standoff between the two factions in the Kerala Congress (M).
Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Mr. Joseph confirmed the intervention of the Congress leadership in the issue and held that he would be part of the UDF’s campaign based on the outcome of the ongoing discussions. Mons Joseph, MLA, and senior KC(M) leader Joy Abraham have been tasked to hold discussions with the UDF in this regard.
According to Mr. Joseph, the discussion with the Congress, to be held in two days, will be followed by a meeting of the party's Kottayam district committee. As to whether the decision to launch a parallel campaign would affect the prospect of Mr. Pulikkunnel in the byelection, Mr. Joseph said it was up to the ‘booers and editorial writers’ to decide.
The Joseph faction had decided not to be a part of the UDF campaign in the wake of an attempt to heckle Mr. Joseph by the rival faction at an election convention in Pala two days ago. The decision was also prompted by a controversial editorial appeared on Prathichaya , the party mouthpiece, which obliquely sought to cast aspersions on Mr. Joseph for his ‘image tussle’ with Jose K. Mani.
The Joseph and Jose K. Mani factions have been on an intense factional war since the previous Lok Sabha election in April and the standoff reached its latest level when Mr.Joseph, in his capacity as the party’s working chairman, succeeded in not allotting the party symbol of two leaves to Mr. Pulikkunnel, a confidant of Mr. Mani.
