While ‘big brother’ Congress itself is struggling to sort out the seat-sharing muddle, the problem’s most virulent and visible manifestation is in the Kerala Congress (Mani).

Of course, KC(M) president and former finance minister K. M. Mani would have us believe that there are no problems in his party. But the fact that he has had to issue a stern warning to partymen exposes the strife within on the issue. “Those trying to create problems in the name of seat-sharing will meet the fate that met P. C. George,” warned Mani.

The warning, however, does not seem to have had any effect on the PJ Joseph faction. Leaders belonging to the Joseph faction have demanded more seats this time.

It may be mentioned that in the 2011 assembly elections, the Joseph faction had contested in four seats as against the 11 the Mani group contested. While the Mani group won six seats, the Joseph faction had won three seats.

The Joseph faction’s demand for more seats has to be viewed against the intention of KC(M) chief K M Mani to demand more seats in this election. It s this which has prompted the Joseph faction to demand seats for three more leaders belonging to the Joseph faction: P C Joseph, Antony Raju and KC Joseph.

Antony Raju, it must be mentioned, was one of the most vociferous supporters of Mani during the TV channel debates on the bar bribery scam in which Mani was embroiled and which led to his resignation from the Oommen Chandy Government. Raju and his supporters are hurt by Mani’s reluctance to give him a seat despite this strong support in his hour of crisis.

The Poonjar seat vacated by P C George who has since left the KC(M) is the main bone of contention between the two factions. While Francis George, a Joseph loyalist, is keen on contesting from Poonjar, Mani is not in a mood to concede the demand.

While the Joseph faction has accused the KC(M) leadership of ignoring the group ever since it merged itself in the KC(M) after crossing over from the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front(LDF)just before the 2011 assembly elections, the KC(M) leaders deny any bias against the former. They say that unless the UDF gives it more than the 15 seats it was given last time, it won’t be possible to give more seats to the Joseph faction.

Reports have it that Mani is settling scores with the Joseph faction for its failure to openly support him while he was in the eye of the bar bribery scam storm. Mani has not forgiven Joseph for his refusal to agree to his stand that both of them should resign. Joseph had said No on the ground that he had nothing to do with the bar bribery scam. That Mani has not forgotten the ‘snub’ is clear from his unwillingness to give more seats to the Joseph faction.

The air is thick with rumours of a n impending split in the KC(M) unless the leadership relents. Much will, however, depend on the stance the leader PJ Joseph himself takes on the issue. Sources close to Joseph say he is in no mood for another split in the party.

If that is the case, it remains to be seen whether his supporters like KC Joseph, Antonu Raju and KC Joseph will walk out of the KC(M) and join hands with the LDF, which has let it be known that it could consider the Joseph faction’s demand for seats once they leave the parent party.

Whatever the denouement, one thins is for sure. The KC(M)’s hopes of retaining its strength of 9 in the outgoing assembly will suffer a severe setback if the Joseph faction leaves the party. Such a development will, undoubtedly, weaken the UDF itself in central Kerala, which is the KC(M)’s stronghold, besides having an adverse bearing on the UDF’s overall prospects in the crucial assembly elections just three months away itself. (IPA Service)