Rumblings in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the ‘undue’ treatment given to the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose K. Mani resurfaced on Saturday with Nationalist Congress Party leader Mani C. Kappan, MLA, airing his discontent over seat sharing in the local body polls.
“Despite taking a clear lead in nine of the 13 panchayats and one municipality in the Pala constituency in the Assembly bypoll, we were allotted only a couple of seats to the local bodies this time. From a party that contested in around 400 seats across the State in 2015, the NCP’s share has come down to 165 this time. We will be registering our protest in the appropriate platform,” the MLA told mediapersons, on the sidelines of a function organised by the party to celebrate the 80th birthday of NCP president Sharad Pawar.
The NCP, a long-standing ally, had to make some major adjustments within the LDF, especially in central Travancore, following the entry of the KC(M) faction into the front. Against the 26 seats it contested during the previous local body polls in Kottayam, the party was allotted just seven this time.
Mr. Kappan, who is the Pala MLA, had locked horns with the KC(M) earlier too. Following reports that Mr.Mani had demanded the Pala seat during informal consultations with the LDF ahead of its entry into the coalition, Mr.Kappan stated that there was no question of giving up the seat to anyone and for anything, even for a Rajya Sabha seat.
While his position vis-a-vis the Pala seat had remained intact, Mr.Kappan sought to tone down his opposition later in view of the local body polls.
Mr. Kappan, who had unsuccessfully contested in Pala against KC(M) patriarch K.M. Mani three times, rode on his popularity and the factional fight within the KC(M) to emerge victorious in the byelection last year.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) sought to dismiss Mr. Kappan’s claim as ‘irrelevant’ and pointed out that all parties in the coalition had to make adjustments for accommodating the KC(M) faction.
