Despite repeated denials, speculation over Kerala Congress (M)’s UDF return refuses to die

Even as the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] firmly shut the door on a possible return to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), speculation of a political homecoming refuses to die down.

The buzz gained fresh momentum following a meeting of the party’s Kottayam district steering committee on Wednesday, which was attended by party chairman Jose K. Mani. Rather than settling the issue, the meeting reignited talk of a possible shift towards the UDF, prompting the leadership to issue a categorical rebuttal.

Dismissing the reports as “purely media-driven,” district president Lopez Mathew said there had been no discussion whatsoever within the committee on any political realignment. He said the KC(M), firmly positioned as a voice of farmers and the wider public, continued to enjoy strategic space and political priority within the Left Democratic Front (LDF), leaving no reason to explore alternatives.

According to Mr. Mathew, the meeting focussed solely on organisational matters, including preparations to project the LDF’s central Kerala rally, led by Mr. Mani, as a major demonstration of political strength.

Senior party leaders also pointed to the reception accorded to Mr. Mani at a recent event organised by Infarm, a farmers’ collective under the Catholic Church, as evidence that there was no ecclesiastical pressure influencing the party’s political stance. The event, held in Kanjirappally as part of Infarm’s silver jubilee celebrations, saw Mr. Mani receive a warm ovation in the presence of two archbishops and several senior bishops.

“This sends out a strong political message that the Church is not nudging him away, but instead standing firmly with him,” a party insider said.