The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest ally of the Congress in the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, on Monday expressed unhappiness over the Congress-Kerala Congress (Mani) squabbles.
IUML Lok Sabha member PK Kunhalikutty called on state Congress chief Mullapally Ramachandran and the top leaders of the faction-ridden Kerala Congress (Mani) and expressed his concern on the frequent airing of differences by leaders of these parties.
The UDF is set to hold a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Leader of opposition in Kerala Ramesh Chennithala is chairman of the UDF.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Chennithala who led rival factions seem to have patched up their differences to fight the way Ramachandran is running the party. All these factions have raised their grievances against each other with the central party leadership.
The Kerala Congress (Mani) is split in two factions, led by senior party legislator PJ Joseph and Jose K Mani, son of party founder KM Mani, who passed away last year.
Kunhalikutty has been assured by the top Congress leaders that things will be sorted out at the Tuesday meeting. With the local polls scheduled in October and the Assembly polls in May 2021, the UDF will be finding it difficult to face the elections amid intra-party feuds, Kunhalikutty said.
Moreover, with the Kuttanadu Assembly bye-election set to be announced shortly, he has warned that it will be curtains for the UDF if they end up losing, like what happened in Pala, Konni and Vatiyoorkavu bye-elections, even after they had a good run in the Lok Sabha elections before that, winning 19 out of the 20 seats. Among those in the UDF who have shown interest in candidacy for the Kuttanadu bye-election are former Congress legislators PC Vishnunath and Joseph Vazhakan, and local popular youth leader Saji Joseph. The seat had become vacant after MLA Thomas Chandy passed away last December.