Chengannur: UDF upbeat with Mani on board

Alappuzha: The decision of Kerala Congress (M) to lend its support to the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the upcoming Chengannur bypoll, has given a shot in the arm to the UDF leadership.

The KC-M decision, following widespread speculation, has given UDF a much needed relief amidst doubts whether the once UDF ally Mani would throw his weight behind the ruling LDF.

On the losing side of the new decision is the CPM whose hopes of winning Mani group's vote till the last minute, have been belied. KC-M is holding a party convention in the constituency on Thursday when its efforts will be focused on ensuring all votes being polled for the UDF candidate D Vijayakumar. Even by its local affiliation as an erstwhile ally, the party would have fain offered votes for LDF, given its sharing of power with the UDF in several local bodies, under its pre-split alliance.

In panchayats such as Pandanat and Mannar, the Congress is ruling with the support of KC-M. In Thiruvandoor, it was the CPM and Congress who joined together against the BJP and made KC-M member the president. So is the vice chairperson post of Chengannur municipality now with KC-M.

In the context of positions in local self-governing bodies based on party representations, Kerala Congress-M is a crucial factor. It is estimated that in areas of Chennithala and Venmani, the party has about 3000 votes. Therefore, with such support, the CPM was hoping that by roping in Mani and the party using all possible means, LDF could checkmate UDF. For that very reason, the LDF leadership, most prominently CPM leadership including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had swallowed all the words they had used against Mani during the anti-bar bribery campaign, and rolled out the red carpet for him.

All the same a recent statement by senior CPM leader VS Achuthanandan that LDF could win the constituency even without Mani, had spread disquiet among the party leadership. What the senior leader attempted to do by the statement was to underline the party's earlier position towards Mani and his party.