Decision on Chengannur by-election soon: Mani
Kottayam (Kerala) May 11 (IANS) Ahead of the May 28 Chengannur Assembly by-election Kerala Congress (Mani) chief K.M. Mani on Friday said a decision on his party s support to one of the three fronts in Kerala will be taken within a week.
Given that Mani s party has a support base of around 5 000 voters his support is crucial.
Last year Mani s party severed ties with the Congress-led United Democratic Front after close to four decades. His party s six legislators sit as a separate block in the Assembly.
Apart from the UDF leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front have met Mani to seek his party s support.
"A final decision will come in a week s time " Mani told reporters.
CPI-M legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair s death in January 2016 necessitated the bye-election to the seat. Counting of votes will take place on May 31.
Chengannur was a Congress citadel for close to three decades until Nair broke through in 2016.
In 2016 Nair secured 52 880 votes while two-time Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunath got 44 987; BJP s P. Sreedharan Pillai came a close third with 42 682 votes.
Pillai is again in the fray whereas the CPI-M has fielded Alappuzha District Secretary Saji Cherian. The Congress has fielded D. Vijayakumar.
--IANS
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