Pala: "If Pala was K M Mani’s wife, it is my heart," Mani C Kappan of the LDF constituent NCP and the sitting MLA from the Assembly seat has said.
Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani responded by terming Pala as a "passion of the heart".
Late Kerala Congress (M) chairman K M Mani had referred to Pala as his second wife.
Mani C Kappan said that fake propaganda was being spread regarding the Pala seat. There is no need to respond to such matters and speculations, he said. The Left Front has not yet discussed the entry of Kerala Congress (M). Therefore, the discussions about the arrival of the Jose faction or the Pala seat are irrelevant. Kappan said he would stand by whatever decision the NCP and party president Sharad Pawar took.
Jose K Mani reiterated that the Kerala Congress (M) will announce its political stand in a few days. Other discussions regarding the party based on various assumptions have no meaning. “For me Pala is not just a place, it is a heartfelt feeling beyond that,” said Jose K Mani.
Announcement on Kerala Congress (M)’s LDF entry delayed
There are indications that the political announcement regarding the entry of Kerala Congress (M) in the LDF will be postponed to Wednesday.
A lack of consensus on the Pala and Kanjirappally Assembly seats is the reason for postponing the announcement that was expected on Monday.
With Mani C Kappan making it clear that he will not give up the Pala seat, the Kerala Congress (M) wants the CPI (M) to talk to Kappan and the NCP and get assurances on the Assembly seat before it can join the LDF.
“This is a seat where the Left Front activists worked hard to ensure victory after losing three times. The Chief Minister and other ministers are exercising extreme care about Pala,” Kappan said.
“There will be a response to talks on Pala seat only after taking a political stand. There is no need to respond to discussions that take place before that,” Jose K Mani, a member of Parliament, said.
Although the CPI has agreed to give up the Kanjirapally seat which it had contested in the last Assembly elections, a decision has to be taken about the seat that is to be given to the party instead.
The LDF has decided to wait till there is clarity on these issues so that it can make the announcement with the participation of all the key leaders. This is to avoid confusion among the ranks.
Kerala Congress (M) member of Parliament Thomas Chazhikadan, who is leaving for New Delhi on Monday to attend the Parliamentary Petitions Committee discussions, will return on Wednesday.
Party’s MLA Roshy Augustine, who is undergoing COVID treatment, has to stay in quarantine in Thiruvananthapuram till Tuesday. The announcement will not be delayed once Roshy and Chazhikadan return.
