With the Kerala Assembly set to witness a no-confidence motion being moved against the ruling CPI(M) led LDF government by the Opposition UDF on Monday, Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose K Mani, has come out stating that it will stay away from it. The KC(M) faction led by Jose K Mani, which is also in the opposition, was declared ineligible to be part of the UDF in June.
Talking to IANS, the party's chief whip, Roshy Augustine said that he has issued the whip which will be applicable to him and party legislator N Jayaraj.
"We are not in the UDF as we have been ousted, so the UDF whip is not applicable to us. Moreover, it has to be issued by the respective party whip. I have issued the whip and it's to stay away from it (from the motion). We have not decided on if we need to be present in the house when the motion is moved, or if we need to stay away from the house," he said.
The Kerala Congress (M) was founded by KM Mani, who passed away last year. Since his death, for all practical purposes, the party is divided between veteran legislator PJ Joseph who has three legislators, including himself, and the other faction led by Mani's son and Rajya Sabha member Jose K Mani, who has two legislators.
A no-confidence motion is being moved in the Kerala Assembly reportedly after 15 years. The no-confidence motion by the Opposition UDF will spell out a list of corruption allegations against the Pinarayi Vijayan government, including the controversies surrounding the sensational gold smuggling case.
On August 24, along with the no-confidence motion, another event is the Rajya Sabha bye-poll to fill the vacancy caused by the death of sitting member and media baron, MP Veerendra Kumar.
Roshy Augustine said he and his fellow legislator will not participate in this too.
In June, the UDF had announced that Jose K Mani faction of Kerala Congress(M), was no longer eligible to stay as part of the front as they did not abide by the agreement made by UDF.
The agreement was over sharing the post of president of the Kottayam District Panchayat with the PJ Joseph led faction of Kerala Congress (M).
Though UDF Chairman and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala later clarified that it was a "media creation" and no one has been ousted from the UDF, the faction headed by Jose Mani has been keeping a distance from the front since then.