Cong accuses KC(M) of betraying it in dist panch'yat prez poll

Congress today hit out at Kerala Congress(M) accusing it of "betraying" UDF in the election to the post of president of the Kottayam district panchayat.
The Kottayam District Congress Committee,which met here in the presence of senior leaders, including Oommen Chandy and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, also passed a resolution, declaring that the party would not have any truck with Mani or his son and Lok Sabha MP Jose K Mani in future.
The Congress would not tolerate this 'political betrayal,' Congress district leaders said.
They said they were "hurt" by the move by KC(M) in the Kottayam district panchayat to defeat Congress with the support of the CPI(M) on Wednesday.

The election was necessitated following Congress nominee Joshi Philip quitting the post after he was made the Congress Kottayam district president.
Philip was elected president of the district panchayat with support of Kerala Congress(M) in November 2015.

The former UDF ally's move had kicked up a political storm in Kerala.
The DCC meeting was held after Kerala Congress (M) Vice Chairman Jose K Mani, MP, justified the party's district leadership's decision to join hands with CPI(M) in the district panchayat president polls.
Jose K Mani had said it was a reaction from KC(M) workers against those who had been continuously humiliating the party.

Reacting sharply at the DCC meet, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alleged that the Kottayam MP had "insulted" Congress workers who had worked hard for Kerala Congress(M) for the past 42 years.
The senior Congress leader alleged that KC(M) failed to cite any specific reason for hobnobbing with CPI(M) after "ditching" Congress in the polls.
Facing flak from various quarters, including Congress and a powerful section within the party over the ties with CPI(M), Mani had yesterday said the decision to seek support of the state's ruling party was unfortunate and it was taken at the local level.