In a bid to regain the Christian vote banks, the Congress in Kerala has started sending feelers to one time coalition partner Kerala Congress (Mani).
Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala has said that the Congress will be only happy if the Kerala Congress (M) returns to the United Democratic Front (UDF).
While KC(M) chairman Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani was yet to react to it, party leader and Kerala water resources minister Roshy Agustine declined the offer and said that the party would remain with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Chennithala's feeler came at a time when the Congress is seriously worried over the CPM already making inroads into its traditional Christian vote banks and the BJP is now making all out efforts in this regard.
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KC(M) founded by political stalwart K M Mani is having considerable influence among the Christian vote banks of central Kerala. The party had been a key coalition partner of the Congress for more than three decades. But the party severed its association with the Congress in 2020 and joined the LDF following a power tussle in the party after Mani's death. In the subsequent local body election and Assembly election the LDF had made gains in the Christian dominated areas.
Now that the BJP is also making all out efforts to make inroads into the Christian vote banks, the Congress is seriously worried. Recent leadership meeting of the Congress had discussed the matter and stressed the need for Christian appeasement steps.
Christians constituted over 18 percent of Kerala's population as per 2011 census and the community is decisive in many constituencies.