Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi, Mar 4: In an embarrassment to the ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala ahead of coming assembly elections, one of its partners Kerala Congress (M) Thursday split with a group of rebels led by former MP Francis George walking out of the party accusing its chief K M Mani of functioning unilaterally.
Addressing a press conference here, Antony Raju, a former MLA and a member of the party’s high-power committee, said he along with Francis George and Dr K C Joseph, also a former legislator, have decided to leave the party as Mani was functioning in an “unilateral manner”.
Dynastic rule is prevailing in the KC-M with Mani trying to make his son Jose K Mani, MP, as the leader of the party, Raju said adding, it is difficult for any Kerala Congress worker with self-respect to continue in the party.
Another leader P C Joseph, a known opponent of Mani, also left the party.
All these leaders were part of Kerala Congress (Joseph) led by Water Resource Minister P J Joseph before it merged with KC (M) ahead of assembly elections in 2011.
Reacting to the development, Joseph said he would remain with the KC-M and the UDF and rejected the charge that Mani was planning a tie-up with BJP.
Earlier in the day, sources close George, son of Kerala Congress founder leader K M George, said in Kochi that their leader was cut up with Mani’s bid to promote his son.
Raju also alleged there was no inner party democracy or discussions in the party over several issues faced by people.
He alleged that Mani, who resigned as finance minister over the bar bribery scam, was trying to take the party into the fold of BJP and Sangh parivar.
“It is a total deviation from party’s ideology for which it was formed”, he added.
He said they would revive their outfit Kerala Congress (J) at a meeting to be held here on March 9 and decide the future course of action.
“We have not carried out any discussion with LDF leaders”, Raju said when asked whether the new party would work along with LDF in the coming polls.
K M George is the founder leader of Kerala Congress, a political party which later went through several splits ever since its formation in 1964.
