Kerala Congress (M) working president P J Joseph, who was denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls, on Saturday said he would back UDF candidates, but said he was deliberately denied a seat due to the machinations of party top brass.
At a hurriedly called press conference, Joseph said the faction led by KC(M) chairman K M Mani and his son Jose K Mani used regionalism as an excuse to keep him out of the fray.
Joseph said Mani told him that the party workers of Kottayam were against fielding Joseph, as he hails from Idukki.
Tearing apart this logic, Joseph listed out party leaders who have contested from other districts in Idukki.
Joseph had openly expressed his desire to contest from Kottayam seat, but Mani announced the candidature of Thomas Chazhikadan unilaterally.
Joseph then revealed the details of his meeting with senior Congress leaders Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and Mullappally Ramachandran after he was denied ticket by the KC (M).
Joseph loyalist Mons Joseph had suggested that the former contest from Idukki seat, which is assigned to Congress now.
Joseph said the Congress leaders were ready to let him contest from Idukki but with riders.
Though he did not specify the riders, reports had earlier said the Congress wanted him to contest on its official symbol, the hand, to boost its tally in the Lok Sabha.
“I was not ready to sacrifice my party's interests to become an MP,” he said.
Though he said he would work for the victory of UDF candidates, he made it clear that he would work to strengthen internal democracy in the KC(M), an insinuation that the KC (M) is being run by a coterie led by Jose K Mani. He said though Congress leaders had mooted a proposal that Joseph contest as the UDF candidate from Idukki, Jose K Mani unequivocally stated that there was no need for any such discussion.
