The stage is all set for Jose K. Mani, who is the third biggest ally in the CPI(M) led Left Kerala government, to get renominated to the Rajya Sabha, a seat which he held till he resigned early this year. On Monday, he arrived at the Kerala Legislative Assembly and filed his nomination papers before the secretary. The election to the seat will be held on November 29 here, when the state legislators will vote.
Jose K. Mani, son of late K.M. Mani who was the founder of the Kerala Congress (M), had quit his Rajya Sabha seat which he had won when his father was with the Congress-led UDF in 2018.
Jose K. Mani had quit the post as after the death of his father, the Kerala Congress (M) was at war with veteran legislator P.J. Joseph headed one faction and the other one led by the former. Following a serious difference of opinion between the two, the faction led by Jose K. Mani decided to leave the UDF and joined the Left last year.
Jose K. Mani suffered a setback when he was defeated by sitting legislator Mani C. Kappan from the Pala Assembly seat in Kottayam district, which was represented by his father K.M. Mani for the past 52 years. Kappan won the seat when he was with the NCP, an ally of the Left in a by-election in 2019 and won again in 2021.
Jose K. Mani's political fortunes nosedived when he saw three others from his party becoming legislators, of which Roshy Augustine became the State Water Resources Minister. However, he plans a comeback by once again becoming a member of the Rajya Sabha.
With the victory of Jose K. Mani a foregone conclusion, the Congress-led opposition is yet to name its candidate, as they do not wish to give an easy walkover to Mani.
The Left is returning the sitting seat in the Upper House for the second time to the political turncoats who dumped the Congress-led UDF and joined the ruling party. The first to get this was media baron M.P.Veerendrakumar who joined the Left after dumping the Congress-led UDF.
After he passed away, his seat was given to his son Shreyams Kumar, who too had a similar fate like Jose, as he also lost the April 6 Assembly polls.