Idukki: A political row has flared up in Idukki over the stabbing of a Congress supporter by Kerala Congress (M) state committee member Jinson Powathil during a brawl at midnight on Friday in Nedumkandam.

The incident occurred at a house where the two had reached to pay their respects to a deceased. Frinjo Francis, who was stabbed in the stomach, has undergone surgery at a private hospital in Nedumkandam and is under observation for 48 hours.

According to Nedumkandam Police, his condition is not yet out of danger. Eight units of blood have been given to Frinjo as a part of his treatment and he also sustained injuries from the knife attack on his leg and an ear, the police said.

“We have found that Jinson was carrying a knife with which he stabbed Frinjo during an altercation,” said Nedumkandam SI T S Jayakrishnan. CI Jerlin V Scaria is heading the investigation.

The accused, Powathil, has been charged with attempted murder and will be presented before the Kattappana First Class Judicial Magistrate on Saturday evening.

Political or personal?
KPCC functionaries Senapathy Venu and M N Gopi told media persons in Nedumkandam that the attack on Frinjo was planned by the KC (M) and LDF to disturb the elections to Malanadu Co-operative Agricultural & Rural Development Bank in Nedumkandam.

“This could not be considered an isolated incident and there is a conspiracy. All those involved in the ploy to kill Frinjo need to be arrested and taken to task. A group of KC (M) workers who reached the area in an inebriated state had hacked our supporter,” Gopi said.

Senapathy Venu said that when the UDF governed the Malanadu Cooperative Bank for more than two decades, it had the support of KC (M). “But after KC (M) switched to the LDF, they fear a backlash from more than 32,000 members of the bank in the elections to be held on Sunday as a considerable majority of them is with UDF,” Venu said.

Meanwhile, KC (M) Idukki president Jose Palathinal said that the incident was unfortunate and the reason was a personal rivalry. “The attempt to give a political colour to it is condemnable,” he said.

Powathil was a ward member in Nedumkandam Grama Panchayat while his party was with the UDF. In the polls to the civic bodies held in 2020 after KC (M) joined LDF, he lost from ward 16 to the UDF candidate of KC(M) P J Joseph faction. It is learned from local residents that Powathil was actively campaigning for the panel members of Sahakarana Samrakshana Munnani of KC (M) and LDF who were contesting the elections to the Malanadu Bank.