(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Official mouthpiece of the Congress party criticises minister K M Mani for not making his stand clear on political affiliations with the opposition party.
THE ROW OVER opposition Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPM) overtures to Kerala Congress veteran K M Mani has returned to haunt the state’s ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
The issue was raked up by Veekshanam the official mouthpiece of the Congress party by criticising Mani for not making his stand clear on political affiliations in an article published on the eve of the golden jubilee fete of the regional party. It rattled the ruling coalition with Prathichaya the weekly publication of Kerala Congress (M) reacting sharply to the Veekshanam pot-shots. What angered the party most was Veekshanam’s description of Mani’s party as a shy and reluctant girl in its 50th year.
The Congress daily had apparently referred to Mani’s failure to clear the confusion created by CPM in the political circles in the state by offering chief ministership to him. The Congress party had viewed the CPM move as an attempt to dislodge the UDF government which came to power with a slender margin of three seats.
The Veekshanam article asked Mani to show his political maturity by rejecting the CPM appeasements and cementing his party’s position in the UDF. It said that any attempt by the party to join hands with the Communists would not be tolerated by the Christians and the rich farmers who constitute its support base.
In a hard-hitting reply to Veekshanam the article in Prathichaya said that the Congress daily had not grown to teach politics to Mani the longest serving member of Kerala assembly. “Mani knows politics well and none need to bother about teaching him about it” the article said.
The article reminded the Congress that the Kerala Congress was capable to chart its own course and take decisions on political alliances of its choice. The party decides on its future course not according to the wishes of the Veekshanam but based on the political situation.
The party will decide on which front it should continue or leave at the appropriate time. It pointed out that Mani had never shown shyness in taking political decisions.
The strongly worded article which is learnt to have been dictated by Mani himself indicates that the veteran leader is waiting for the right moment to decide his political future.
Senior Congress leaders are afraid that it may embolden the CPM to revive its attempt to pull down the UDF government. Significantly Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V M Sudheeran have distanced from the article.
Chandy said that he did not agree with the contents in the article. Pointing out that Mani was one of the top leaders of the ruling coalition; the chief minister said that the party organ should have been careful in writing about him.
Sudheern on the other hand said that the article did not have his approval. He said that he had directed the editorial board of Veekshanam not to repeat such articles.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also took strong exception to the article and hoped that it will not affect the ties between the Congress and the Kerala Congress. — newskhaleejtimes.com
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