Plan to support CPI-M not discussed in party: P J Joseph
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Thodupuzha: Exposing the ripples with the Kerala Congress (M) over its support to CPI-M in Kottayam district panchayat polls, party working chairman P J Joseph on Thursday said the move was ‘unfortunate’.
Talking to the media at his residence here, Joseph said he would discuss the matter with party supremo K M Mani.
“No discussion on seeking support from the CPI-M was held in the party. The party has also not discussed the topic of joining the LDF. The decision took in the meeting held in Charalkunnu was to collaborate with the UDF if needed. However, the act of the party in the Kottayam district panchayat polls was just the opposite of that,” Joseph said.
He added the move was with the knowledge of K M Mani and Jose K Mani.
In a sign of moving closer to the CPI-M, the KC(M) headed by K M Mani received support from the Left party for its candidate Zakharias Kuthiravelil which helped it wrest the Kottayam District Panchayat president post from the Congress.
The Congress-leadership headed by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala termed as “betrayal” Mani’s decision “to go with CPI(M).”
The district leadership of CPI, a key LDF partner, slammed the CPI(M) for supporting Mani by not fielding a candidate for the post of district panchayat chief.
Kuthiravelil secured 12 votes while Congress nominee Sunny Pambady could secure only eight votes in the 22-member district panchayat.
CPI(M) with six elected members supported the KC(M) nominee while a lone representative of CPI in the council abstained from voting.
KC(M), which fought the panchayat elections held two years ago as an UDF ally and later severed ties with the Congress-led alliance after assembly polls last year, has six elected representatives.
Another member belonging to a group led by Poonjar MLA P C George made her vote invalid.
Election to the post was necessitated following Congress nominee Joshi Philip quitting the post after he was made the Congress Kottayam district president.
Philip was elected president of the district panchayat with the support of the Kerala Congress (M) in November 2015.
The KC(M) after quitting UDF in August last year has been maitaining equidistance from both the major fronts in the state politics including UDF, LDF and the BJP-led NDA.
