Kerala Congress shuts door on KM Mani

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress has decided to shut the door on Kerala Congress chairman K.M. Mani and approved the Kottayam DCC resolution to have no more truck with Mr Mani  or his son Jose K. Mani.

This decision was taken by the political affairs committee which met here on Tuesday.  A final decision will be taken at the UDF meet, said KPCC president M.M. Hassan.

The  committee said Mr Mani had betrayed the Congress.  Mr Hassan flayed the  KC (M) leadership for its ‘opportunistic politics’ and said  Mr Jose K. Mani was the brain behind  the  KC (M) move to tie up with the CPM. "The future course of action will be taken at  the UDF meeting,"  he said.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy also opposed having any more ties with  Mr Mani.  Mr Chandy too had attended the meeting of the Kottayam DCC which passed the  resolution.

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P. J. Kurian's demand that Mr Mani should be brought back to the UDF fold did not find  favour with the majority of the Congress leaders at the PAC meeting. He had made the suggestion  in Kottayam on Tuesday.  Mr Hassan clarified  that it was Mr Kurian's take on the issue.

Congress MP and returning officer of the organisational elections, E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, urged the PAC to intensify  the membership campaign.  Mr  P. J. Kurian, Vatakara MP and chairman of organisational elections, Mullapally Ramachandran, AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal and AICC secretary P. C. Vishnunath were conspicuous by their absence at the  meeting.