Merging only to separate, Kerala Cong (M) splits again

KOCHI: The rebel politics that had simmered in the Kerala Congress (M) has exploded into a formal split with four out of the seven high-power committee members of the party led by Francis George resigning and announcing that they are forming a separate party called Kerala Congress (J).

Antony Raju, Dr KC Joseph are the other members who are leaving KC(M).

The new party is likely to join the Left Democratic Front (LDF) though the leaders said no formal talks have been held with the Left Front.

While the rebel group members are mainly from the Kerala Congress Joseph group that merged with the KC(M) in 2010, P J Joseph himself has decided to stay on with the KC(M).

Announcing their decision to leave KC (M), Antony Raju said KC(M) chairman KM Mani is trying to impose his family rule in the party . He said Mani is trying to project his son as the leader while ignoring others who have several years of experience.

Antony Raju also made the serious allegation that Mani has entered into a secret deal with the BJP. “This will become clear if one goes through the statements of Mani on the day Amit Shah visited Kerala“, he said. He alleged that Mani's son Jose K Mani, MP, visited Amit Shah's residence in early February to discuss the deal with the BJP.