Despite the embarrassing defeat in Pala and admonitions from the United Democratic Front (UDF), the factional fight within the Kerala Congress (M) is raging further, giving more headache to the Congress-led coalition ahead of the bypolls in five Assembly seats.
A day after Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, the party's candidate in Pala, had squarely blamed senior leader P.J. Joseph for his electoral loss, the rival faction on Sunday came out attributing the set back to the audacity of Jose K. Mani coupled with the untamed tongue of Mr. Pulikkunnel.
“Upon being declared as the candidate, Mr. Pulikkunnel's first remark was that he did not require any support from Mr. Joseph and the party symbol. He kept on repeating this at every election forum and in front of the media, outraging the voters,” said Saji Manjakadambil, a leader of the Joseph faction.
He accused Mr. Pulikkunnel of not possessing the political civility to seek blessings from Mr. Joseph ahead of the election.
According to him, the real villain behind the poll blow was Mr. Mani, who had engaged people to heckle a senior politician such as Mr. Joseph at an election convention in Pala. He urged the UDF to probe the `actual conspiracy' behind the denial of the party symbol to the KC(M) candidate.
The statements were made in response to an attack unleashed by the Mani group on Mr. Joseph for the poll blow. Addressing media persons the other day, Mr. Pulikkunnel had accused Mr. Joseph of `engineering his defeat' in the byelection.
Meanwhile, official sources said a discontent was brewing among the KC(M) workers over the laxity of the UDF in ensuring the party symbol to Mr. Pulikkunnel. “The coalition has failed in its duty to make effective interventions, reign in Mr. Joseph and ensure the party symbol to its candidate. These are the three core reasons for the KC(M)'s set back in its bastion,” said a senior leader of the Mani faction.
