Thiruvananthapuram: The power tussle between two senior leaders of the Kerala Congress (M) has created more headache for the Congress and its other allies in Kerala ahead of the general election. A crucial meeting of the opposition United Democratic Front is expected to be dominated by the Kerala Congress demand for an additional seat to contest.
Party chairman K M Mani and senior leader P J Joseph put up a show of unity by raising the demand but Mani seemed less keen on another seat. The only Lok Sabha seat allotted to the party, Kottayam, was held by Mani's son until he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha last year.
Joseph, who had been lobbying for a more equitable share of the party fortunes since he herded his loyalists to the organisation, is now demanding his pound of flesh. The Congress, however, is unlikely to entertain the pressure tactic since it is not backed by the entire Kerala Congress (M). The Congress had made it clear at the time of the merger of the Mani and Joseph factions that the enlargement does not qualify it to ask for a larger share of the pie within the UDF.
That would leave Joseph and Mani fighting over the lone seat. The issue could spoil the UDF expectation to sort out seat divisions among the constituents on February 18. The Congress is likely to give the Kerala Congress more time to settle its internal differences.
Mani is in no mood to forego his claim to the Kottayam seat. The Joseph camp maintained that it had a claim to the seat since Mani's son, Jose K Mani, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Another ally, Muslim League, has also staked claim for a third seat to contest this time. The party, however, may relent and settle for more seats in the next assembly election.
