Ahead of Kerala assembly polls, NCP leader Mani C Kappan joins UDF

Kottayam(Kerala) [India], February 14 (ANI): Ahead of assembly polls in Kerala, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C Kappan and the incumbent Pala legislator, joined United Democratic Front (UDF) on Sunday.
Kappan joined UDF during Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala's 'Aishwarya Kerala Yatra'.
The NCP leader said he wanted to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the sitting seat of Pala which the Left front has given to Kerala Congress headed by Jose K Mani, a new entrant in LDF.
"We had talked about it in LDF and I was offered Kuttanad, which I rejected. I wanted Pala, but Jose K Mani has already started working there. I have certain plans for the Pala constituency which I want to take forward. I am confident that I will win from Pala," said Kappan.
He said that he won the last election from Pala with the help of the Left Democratic Front, especially because of the hard work of Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan and other leaders. "But since Jose K Mani joined LDF, they started avoiding me," said the NCP leader.
He added that NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the national leadership of NCP do not want him to leave LDF. "But I have certain plans for Pala and therefore I switched," he said.
Yesterday Kappan said he would join the 'Aishwarya Kerala Yathra' lead by Ramesh Chennithala, the opposition leader, along with seven NCP district leaders when the Yathra will reach Pala.
However, the NCP state president had said national leadership has completely rejected Kappan's claims.
"There is no support from Sharad Pawar for the move made by Kappan. He does not enjoy any support. His stand is suicidal," Peethambaran had said.
NCP leader Saseendran alleged that it should be suspected that Mani C Kappan had made an agreement with the UDF earlier. His decision was based on a pre-arranged script.
Saseendran had demanded that Kappan should resign as MLA, adding "His decision to leave LDF and to join UDF was an injustice to people who had made him MLA".
NCP national leadership is expected to make the final decision on the matter. The NCP leader had registered a win in the Pala assembly by-polls by a margin of over 2,900 votes by defeating UDF candidate Advocate Jose Tom in September 2019. (ANI)