Top leaders of the Kerala Congress (Mani) used their steering committee meeting on Friday to stomp out rumors of a potential exit from the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Arriving for the session, state minister Roshy Augustine made it clear that the party has no intention of jumping ship, despite a wave of speculation suggesting a return to the UDF.
"We aren't the kind of party that changes its stance by the hour or the day," Augustine told reporters. He pointed out that party chairman Jose K Mani had already addressed the rumours, effectively closing the book on the matter. When pressed about reports of internal friction, Augustine brushed them off as par for the course. "Every party has different opinions during a meeting, but what counts is the final collective decision," he said.
The meeting was primarily called to dissect the party's underwhelming performance in the recent local body elections. MLA Job Maichil admitted that the results were poor but flatly denied that the party was facing pressure from the Christian clergy to switch sides. "The chairman has been very clear. We are in the LDF, and we are staying there," Maichil added, dismissing any personal disagreement with the current leadership.
The LDF’s senior partners also seem unfazed by the gossip. LDF convener TP Ramakrishnan voiced his total confidence in the alliance’s stability, noting that while the local body polls didn't go as planned, the front is already shifting its focus to the upcoming Assembly elections. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam echoed this sentiment. He said that once Jose K Mani clarified the party's position, the "speculation" ceased to be a serious concern for the coalition.
As the third-largest player in the LDF, the Kerala Congress (M) remains a critical piece of the state's political puzzle. At least, the party seems determined to weather the post-election storm alongside the Left.
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