The State Election Commission temporarily suspends the “two leaves” party symbol of the Kerala Congress (M), a major party which had separated recently, at a moment when the three-phased local body polls are anticipated next month. The State Election Commissioner V Bhaskaran administered an order freezing the symbol as both the fighting sections, one led by Rajya Sabha MP and son of late party chief K M Mani and the other one led by MLA and former minister, P J Joseph, asserted privilege of the symbol. With this, both the factions cannot use the symbol in the impending local body polls.
EC sources said that the poll body’s action would be subject to the judgment of two existing cases in this reference at the Kerala High Court. Based on their request, the symbol of ‘chenda’ (drum) was assigned to the Joseph party and ‘table fan’ to the Jose faction to compete in the local body elections.
After its three-decades-old links with the opposition Congress-led UDF, the Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) had joined the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF recently. The Jose faction’s problems with the UDF leadership disturbed in June this year after it was “ousted” from the Congress-led Front in connection with the brawl over the Kottayam district panchayat chief position.
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