Kottayam: For the first time since its formation, Kerala Congress (Mani) has been completely wiped out in the assembly elections. From party chairman Jose K Mani to former water resources minister Roshy Augustine, all its 12 candidates have lost the elections.
Historic Defeat for Mani Faction
This was the most humiliating loss in the political history of the Mani faction. Jose lost to Mani C Kappen in the Pala constituency, where K M Mani had won 13 times. In Idukki, Augustine was defeated by Roy K Paulose of Congress. Kerala Congress (M) became the biggest casualty of the anti-incumbency wave and UDF wave across the state. Pala, Poonjar and Kanjirappally, known as the heartland of the party, slipped away from it.
Background of Alliance Shifts
In 2020, after a dispute with P J Joseph over Kottayam district panchayat president position, Kerala Congress (M) had ended its four-decade-long association with UDF and joined LDF. This contributed to significant gains for the Left front in the 2021 assembly elections and the 2020 local body elections in Kottayam. In 2015, Mani had to resign as finance minister following allegations in the bar bribery case. The Left, which previously criticised Mani as 'bribe Mani,' later welcomed his party into the front.
In 2021, Kerala Congress (M) contested 12 seats and won five. However, after UDF's success in the recent local body elections, discussions about switching alliances were prominent within the party. This was allegedly influenced by the Catholic church leadership. The last-minute abandonment of plans to return to UDF proved to be a political suicide for Kerala Congress (M). It was reported that Jose was keen to return to UDF. However, when CPM began efforts to split the party using minister Augustine, Jose abandoned the alliance change.
Crisis and Future Challenges
With the party losing all the seats it contested, the Mani group faces a significant crisis. The main challenge for the faction is to stop the outflow of its cadre to the stronger Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction, which won seven out of eight seats contested. Additionally, the internal discord related to alliance change discussions is likely to surface in the coming days. Besides the Mani group, Kerala Congress (B) and Janadhipathya Kerala Congress will also not be seen in the assembly this time.
