Desperate to break the traditional bipolar polity in the State, the BJP has started wooing the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] after the Election Commission of India declared Jose K. Mani’s faction as the official party.
The BJP State leadership is in touch with the KC(M) leaders even as the CPI(M) has shown signs of warming up to that party ahead of the three-tier local bodies polls. “We have already held a few rounds of discussion with the faction leaders. But nothing final has emerged for now,” BJP State president K. Surendran said.
The two legislators – Roshi Augustine and N, Jeyaraj – owing allegiance to the Jose K. Mani faction had adopted the stance of the BJP lone member in the Legislative Assembly, O. Rajagopal, staying away from the no-confidence motion against the LDF government and also during the election to the Rajya Sabha last month.
Taking on Joseph
However, KC(M) leaders, buoyed by the allocation of the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol and the official party name to the faction by the Election Commission, first want to settle scores with their rivals led by P.J. Joseph. They have asked Mr. Joseph and his supporter Mons Joseph to return to the KC(M) fold. Incidentally, another Legislator C.F. Thomas, who was part of the Joseph faction had abstained from voting.
Sources in the KC(M) said that the party generally was not in favour of an alliance with the BJP in the State for multiple reason even if the BJP Central leadership offered a Cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi Ministry.
The faction leader, Jose K. Mani, is a Rajya Sabha member while his supporter Thomas Chazhikadan, is a member of the Lok Sabha.
Practical approach
“The KC(M) is more practical when it comes to forging an alliance so as to convince its vote base in the Christian settler belts. But the BJP has nothing to lose except gaining from a tie-up,” a KC(M) functionary said.
However, it is the Congress that is now caught in a paradoxical situation over the Election Commission recognising the Mani faction.
Officially, the faction had not been expelled from the United Democratic Front. Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy and Indian Union Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty have begun the process to bring the KC(M) within the coalition.
But now the faction will up the ante bargaining for an advantageous deal before the Assembly polls. the sources said.
