The infighting in the Kerala Congress (M), which has gripped the party for nearly a year now, is now shaking up the dynamics of group politics within the Kerala Congress platform after several years.
Nearly three weeks after the Kerala Congress (Jacob) was split, the Janathipathya Kerala Congress (JKC), a breakaway faction of the Kerala Congress (M), is poised for a split with party chairman Francis George set to realign with the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by P.J. Joseph. While the move will trigger a split in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituent, the residual group led by K.C. Joseph and Antony Raju has now decided to move on and appoint a new chairman.
“The decision by Mr. George to join the Joseph group was never discussed in any of the party forums. Against this backdrop, the party will be filling the chairman’s post during a State committee to be convened in Kottayam on March 14,’’ said K.C. Joseph, working chairman of the party.
According to him, Mr. George himself was present when the party State committee met last month and decided against a proposal to merge with the KC(M) Joseph group. Terming the meeting to be convened by Mr. George at Muvattupuzha on Friday as a mere group meeting, he claimed the support of majority of the district units and feeder organisations.
Party vice chairman Antony Raju said the core focus of the JKC was to constitute an alternative to the concept of United Kerala Congress having its foundations on individuals or families. “Our decision to walk out of the KC(M) four years ago was in protest against the anti-farmer stance adopted by K.M. Mani and P.J. Joseph following the K. Kasturirangan report. By returning to the KC(M) fold, Mr. George is contradicting his ideological position,’’ he noted.
Mr. George will be the second prominent Kerala Congress leader after Johny Nelloor to join the Joseph group following its split with the KC(M) group led by Jose K. Mani. As per reports, Mr. George will be accompanied by a few senior JKC leaders, including former MP Vakkachan Mattathil, general secretary (office charge) M.P. Poly and Thomas Kunnappally, among others
