BJP extends hand of alliance to Mani’s party as UDF faces strong headwinds
Nationalists not averse to pact with KC(M) despite tainted chief
Less than a week after he was forced to resign in the backdrop of bribery allegations, former Kerala finance minister and Kerala Congress (M) chief, K.M. Mani is being seen as a possible ally by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The development comes at a time when the ruling Congressled United Democratic Front government in the state is facing strong headwinds. These have been aggravated by Mani’s resignation and by a faction in the KC (M) refusing to toe Mani’s line.
BJP state president V. Muraleedharan said on Monday that his party was willing to “cooperate” with the Kerala Congress (M) in the upcoming elections of the presidents of the local bodies. BJP had put up a creditable show in the recently concluded civic elections, and a tie-up with the KC(M) will enable it to come to power in a number of local panchayats.
Muraleedharan’s argument is that the issue of bribery being raised against Mani is against a particular person, and that it should not lead to an anathema to the KC(M) party.
He said the BJP would be willing for cooperation if the KC(M) also desired so. If such an alliance does materialise, the early tie-ups between the BJP and KC(M) are likely to happen in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts, which are traditional strongholds of KC(M).
However, BJP’s advances have not been reciprocated by the KC(M) leadership. KC(M) general secretary, Antony Raju, however, remarked that cooperation between political parties at the local level sometimes “went beyond party politics”.
Communist Party of India Marxist state secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the BJP’s advances to KC(M) “exposed BJP’s double-face”.
Fresh allegations
He said the BJP should apologise to its cadres who had taken severe beatings while holding protests to demand that Mani resign in the liquor bar bribery case.
Meanwhile, Mani’s nemesis and liquor bar baron Biju Ramesh made another allegation against the former finance minister. Ramesh told a local television channel on Tuesday that Mani had been given a bribe of Rs50 million by the apartment construction sector.
Political analysts say that the UDF is poised for more trouble in the coming days as additional proof is provided by bar owners who have given the hint that they have proof of giving bribes to more state ministers.