Making it clear that no amount of criticism from the Congress party, or its own ally the CPI, can affect its political maneuvering, the Kerala CPI(M), which leads the LDF government at the state, has again teamed up with Kerala Congress (M) of KM Mani.
Earlier, the CPI(M) had come under sharp criticism from both the opposition and its ruling alliance for bridging an alliance with the KC(M) for the Kottayam District Panchayat President Election held recently.
On Friday, the CPI(M) supported the KC (M) candidate to get him elected to the Kottayam District Panchayat Development Standing Committee. Member of KC (M) Sebastian Pulathungal won with the support of 12 members. The election to the development standing committee was necessitated as Zacharias Kuthiraveli of KC (M) was elected as president of district panchayat.
In the election, six members each from the CPI(M) and KC(M) supported Sebastian. One member of the CPI and one supporting PC George abstained from the voting, reports Mathrubhumi Online.
The CPI(M) had supported K M Mani’s Kerala Congress (M) candidate for the election for Kottayam District Panchayat held on May 3. The Congress candidate lost the election. The political alliance between the CPI (M) and KC (M), who were in opposing political fronts for decades, had raised many eyebrows. KC (M) was an ally of the United Democratic Front till 2016, which is now in the opposition in the state. Congress called KC(M)’s tie up with CPI (M) as political betrayal. For CPI (M) the biggest criticism came from its ally CPI.
KC (M) led by veteran KM Mani left UDF, owing to the ill-treatment of the Congress, which is the largest party in the coalition. During the the previous UDF government, rumours were rife that the CPI(M) would welcome KC(M) to the LDF. But the doors were closed after Mani was accused of corruption in the bar bribery scam.