K M Mani backs out of Amit Shah meet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Congress (Mani) chairman K. M. Mani has backed out from meeting national BJP president Amit Shah.

BJP sources told DC that it was a publicity stunt from Mr Mani’s camp as well as a pressure tactic in the UDF.

RSS at the national level has been trying to float Isai Manch to woo Christians on the lines of its Muslim Rashtriya Manch.

But a senior UDF leader told DC that Mani’s move did not go down well with the Joseph faction in KC (M). BJP national president Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Kochi on Feb 3, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kozhikode.

On Feb 4, Mr Shah will address a public programme at Kottayam coinciding with the Kerala Vimochana Yatra of state president Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Reports of Mr Mani meeting Mr Shah hogged the news headlines last week. But ever since UDF meeting on Saturday decided to welcome Mr Mani back to the cabinet, he took a turnaround on the meeting.

Two prominent leaders of BJP told DC that Mr Rajasekharan broke the silence on Mani’s imminent meeting only on Saturday.

“Kummanam had said that Mr Mani is free to meet any BJP leader. It was just a ‘stunt’ from Mr Mani’s camp. He is keen to return to the UDF cabinet, but for that he would have to wait until Feb 16 when the vigilance court takes up his case again,” echoed BJP leaders.