Mani won’t leave UDF, says Kunhalikutty

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Kerala Congress (M) said the party would consider "all options", including leaving the UDF, in protest against the approach of Congress leaders towards it and its leader K M Mani, Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty said that Mani would not leave the alliance.

It is true that there are some issues in the UDF related to Kerala Congress (M). But they will not leave the alliance. It will be disastrous for them to for association with the BJP, Kunhalikutty told the media here on Tuesday.

The League leader, who has been appointed as mediator to sort out the issue with the KC(M), added he would wait till the party’s crucial two-day camp at Charalkkunnu ends.

On Monday, senior KC(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Joy Abraham had accused Congress leaders of hatching a conspiracy to weaken KC(M) and Mani. He said the party would decide on all issues at its crucial two-day camp at Charalkkunnu this weekend, including the demand within the party to severe ties with Congress and UDF and sit as a separate block in the state Assembly.

The already sour relations between the two parties over the bar bribery scam sharpened recently after Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala attended the betrothal ceremony of the daughter of controversial hotelier Biju Ramesh with the son of Congress leader and former minister Adoor Prakash.

Biju Ramesh, working President of Kerala State Bar Hotel Owners Association, had levelled the bar bribery charge against Mani, which led to his resignation in November last year.

KC(M), which contested the Assembly polls in May this year as a UDF alliance partner, has six MLAs, including Mani and veteran leader P J Joseph.