Kerala Congress-Mani not to realign with UDF: General Secretary Stephen George

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Congress-Mani (KC-M) General Secretary Stephen George on Sunday ruled out his party rejoining the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

His statement was in response to media reports suggesting that the KC-M was considering leaving the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to rejoin the UDF.

Speaking to reporters, the senior leader emphasised that the party intends to uphold its credibility among the public. He pointed out that the UDF had disregarded the party’s 45-year association with its late founder, K.M. Mani, while expelling them from the front.

Party chief Jose K. Mani has yet to comment on the reports.

George, however, strongly criticised the media for spreading false information aimed at damaging the party’s reputation.

Reports have surfaced claiming that the KC-M is dissatisfied with the LDF government over issues such as the alleged sabotaging of the rubber price stabilisation fund and the Karunya scheme. Some media outlets also reported that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a constituent of the UDF, along with certain Christian religious leaders, had initiated talks regarding the party’s re-entry into the UDF.

George dismissed these reports, stating that the Kerala Congress-M is satisfied with its current alliance with the LDF, which he said has treated the party fairly.

He reiterated that the party has no plans to rejoin the UDF.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Kerala minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan expressed his desire for all former allies, including the KC-M, to return to the UDF.

The KC-M, which holds significant influence among the Catholic Christian community, joined the LDF ahead of the local body elections in December 2020, after the UDF expelled it following a dispute during the Kottayam District Panchayat elections. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party won five of the 12 seats it contested. However, Jose K. Mani faced a major setback, losing his family stronghold of Pala to incumbent Mani C. Kappan of the Nationalist Congress Party by a margin of 15,378 votes. Pala had been represented by K.M. Mani for 49 years, from 1967 to 2016, making the loss a significant blow to the party’s legacy.

Historically, the KC-M has been a key constituent of the UDF, holding prominent portfolios like Finance and Revenue in Congress-led state cabinets. However, a power struggle within the party emerged after the death of its founder and chairman, K.M. Mani in 2019. The party split into two factions - one led by his son Jose Mani and the other by senior leader P.J. Joseph.

The Election Commission eventually recognised the faction led by Jose K. Mani as the official KC-M. This decision was challenged by Joseph in court, leading to an interim stay by the Kerala High Court. However, the Supreme Court later upheld the Election Commission’s decision.