CPM slams Mani C Kappan for joining UDF, says people will teach him lesson for 'opportunistic stand'

Kochi (Kerala) [India], February 15 : After Mani C Kappan switched to the United Democratic Front (UDF) from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist's) senior leader MV Govindan on Sunday stated that people of Pala Assembly constituency will teach him a lesson for his "opportunistic stand".
Addressing an inaugural session of the party's 'Vikasana Munnetta Yathra', led by CPI MP Binoy Viswam, Govindan said Kappan took an "opportunistic stand" ahead of the Kerala Assembly polls.
"There is no doubt that the Pala constituency (Mani C Kappan's constituency) will teach a lesson to him who took an opportunistic stand. If any MLA deceives the people, they will have to suffer," he said.
Meanwhile, NCP Kerala chief TP Peethambaran said that the party is upset with Kappan's decision.
"We are upset that our colleague Mani C Kappan has gone to the other side. No one in the NCP agrees with Kappan's decision. The affairs of the NCP are decided by the national leadership. Party leaders are registering protest at the loss of the Pala assembly seat. The NCP will continue to be with the Left front," he said.
Kappan joined UDF during Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala's 'Aishwarya Kerala Yatra'.
Kappan 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," Kappan said.
Stating that NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the national leadership of NCP do not want him to leave LDF, he said: "I have certain plans for Pala and therefore I switched."