K M Mani feels free' after UDF exit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Kerala Congress (M) parliamentary party MLA Mons Joseph submitted his party’s request to the Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan seeking a separate block in the Assembly, party chairman K.M. Mani said that now they (six MLAs) can sit without being squeezed by UDF MLAs. While addressing the Thiruvananthapuram district committee meeting of KC(M), Mr Mani said the CPM and BJP should not resort to murder politics and said they had knives in their hands.

“We don’t have an habit of backstabbing the Congress after we decided to part ways,” he said. KC(M) general secretary Joseph M. Puthussery told this newspaper that their six MLAs would most probably be allocated seats next to BJP MLA O. Rajagopal. He said they will neither be with the Opposition or the ruling front. “We will also be giving adjournment motion as well as calling attention in the Legislative Assembly. But we are also in the Opposition as we are not the ruling MLAs, but that doesn’t mean that we will associate with the UDF. We are a separate entity from now,” he said.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy asked reporters to wait and watch on the UDF’s stand on the issue. KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said the move of the Speaker to grant a separate block to KC (M) MLAs is a natural process. He reiterated that there will not be any talks with KC(M) and added that their decision to sever ties was a political decision. However, UDF sources said that despite the Congress leaders claiming that they are giving scant regard to Mr Mani’s move, it has come as a huge setback. A senior UDF leader said that it is bound to create confusion and something new.

“We are apprehensive as to which way Mr Mani would lean, be it towards the LDF or the BJP,” said a UDF leader. Mr Puthussery told DC that during 1967 period under E.M.S. Nampoothiripad government and later in 1970 under C. Achutha Menon government, the then Kerala Congress had sat as a separate block in the Assembly when they had five and 13 MLAs respectively. When KC (M) decided to party ways with the UDF after 34 years of fruitful relation, the front’s strength has slid from 47 to 41 MLA's.