Kochi, 16 January(HS): Twenty five cents of prime land adjoining the Kavadiyar Palace at Thiruvananthapuram finished off the last vestiges of dissidence from Kerala Congress (Maani) which decided to toe the line of CPI(M) and decided to remain in the Left Democratic Front. The party's MLA N Jayaraj briefef the media on Friday about the decision while Jose K Maani was absent.

Jose K Maani, chairman of the KC(M) faction was feeling suffocated in the LDF and wanted to jump the fence to join the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to fight the upcoming election to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

The KC(M) has five members in the Assembly including Roshy Augustine, the minister for irrigation and water supply department. But Jose K Maani was left alone as all the five MLAs deciding to sail with the CPI(M) and dumping the UDF offer.

It was stated last night that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had asked Augustine not to cross over to the UDF at this juncture. It is an open secret that department of irrigation and water supply is an All Time Money dispenser and whoever heads it have many skeletons in their cupboard.

Sugustine assured the chief minister that he would not cross over to the UDF camp even of the party splits. With Augustine decising to stay put in the LDF camp, all four MLAs chose to be with him because playing ball with Jose K Maani was not a viable alternative .

With no other option in front of him, Jose K Maani decided to remaon silent and avoid a split in the party “at this juncture”. Maani is left with no official power in the State as Roshy Augustine is all sure to get another term as minister if the CPI(M)-led front retains power.

Maani has lost his bargaining power with both the CPI(M) and the Congress by Thursday. His only relief is that the 25 cents of land allocated to him by the LDF government to build a memorial for his late father and former Kerala strongman K M Maani.

But the last word in this issue has not yet been said in the issue. The party has a track record of sailing in two boats at the same time.

In 1982, while Maani was with the LDF and holding the department of finance, he was having back room communication with the Congress. Though Maani had said that he would remain with the LDF, within days he jumped fence and joined the Congress camp ditching the CPI (M).

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti