Infighting breaks out in Kerala Congress (M)

Kottayam (Ker), Mar 12 Intensive infighting has erupted in Kerala Congress (M) over party chairman K M Mani's choice to handle his loyalist and former MLA Thomas Chazhikadan from Kottayam parliamentary constituency, turning down senior leader P J Joseph's desire to challenge from the solitary seat allotted for the party by the Congress-led UDF.

A powerful faction led by KC(M) working chairman and former minister Joseph, who speaks to Thodupuzha in Kerala assembly, opposed Mani's choice to field Chazhikadan from the seat, saying it was taken undermining the general conclusions of the Kerala Congress (M) workers.

Joseph had publicly expressed his desire to challenge the elections as the UDF applicant from Kottayam.

"We as a whole are tormented by this choice," Mons Joseph MLA, a supporter of Joseph, said here Tuesday.

Supporters of Joseph host began leaving from the party posts in protest against the forswearing of ticket for their leader.

Loyalists of Joseph including party state board of trustees part P M George and Kannur district general secretary Rojas Sebastian quit their posts, claiming that Mani fielded "a weak candidate to ensure the victory of CPI(M) candidate from Kottayam.

Party vice-chairman Jose K Mani, be that as it may, said chairman K M Mani announced the candidature of Chazhikadan in the wake of counseling with all party heads and office-bearers.

"I don't have anything more to say," Jose K Mani, who is also son of K M Mani, said.

The Congress fears that the group war erupted in the KC(M) after the announcement of Chazhikadan's candidature would affect the electoral prospects of UDF in some Lok Sabha seats, including Kottayam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta.

UDF convenor Benny Behanan encouraged the KC(M) pioneers to determine the emergency in their gathering.

Behanan, a senior Congress leader, said the Congress would mediate if the KC(M) administration neglected to determine the emergency in the gathering undermining the odds of the UDF in the elections.

UDF leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala and P K Kunjalikkutty, communicated certainty that leaders of the Kerala Congress (M) are equipped for settling their internal gathering emergency.

A series of meetings of the KC (M) pioneers were held here Monday to choose the gathering's applicant yet neglected to achieve an agreement over Joseph's candidature as Mani and his child Jose K Mani needed to keep the seat inside their overlay.

Not long after the declaration of Chazhikadan's hopeful Monday night, Joseph had communicated his disappointment, saying foul play has been done to him.

Joseph, be that as it may, said he remains by the UDF.

"I will undoubtedly ensure the enthusiasm of the front," Joseph had told correspondents in Thodupuzha.

He said he would make further strides in the wake of talking about with UDF pioneers, particularly Congress pioneers, when they have returned from New Delhi.

Jose K Mani had won the Kottayam situate in the Lok Sabha surveys held in 2014.

The seat has been lying empty since acquiescence of Mani from the seat in June a year ago after the UDF selected him to the Rajya Sabha.

The CPI (M) has handled its area secretary V N Vasavan in Kottayam.

The BJP has consented to give the seat to another Kerala Congress, a NDA constituent, driven by previous association serve P C Thomas.

Thomas is probably going to be handled as NDA applicant from the seat.