Ahead of assembly polls, Expelled NCP leader Mani C Kappan launches Nationalist Congress Kerala party

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 15: Ahead of the Assembly polls in Kerala, Mani C Kappan, who was expelled by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on Monday announced a new party. Naming the new party as the Nationalist Congress Kerala (NCK), Kappan said it will become a partner of the opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala.

Kappan is the president of the party. Kappan said the UDF leadership has given an assurance to him that the NCK would be accommodated in the UDF fold before the polls.

The party would also seek three seats in the Assembly elections, he said.

Earlier, Kappan had rejected an invitation by KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran to join the Congress party.

Kappan was expelled from the NCP, a partner of the Kerala''s ruling LDF, on February 15 after he announced his decision to part ways with the CPI(M)-led alliance and join the Congress-led Front.

He and his supporters had attended the ''Aiswarya Kerala'' Yatra led by senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala when it reached Pala in Kottayam district last week.

Kappan had won the Pala seat as an LDF candidate in the bypoll held in 2019.

Kappan revolted against the state LDF leadership following the move by the CPI(M) to hand over Pala Assembly seat to the Kerala Congress (M)-led by Jose K Mani which recently joined the ruling front after snapping its decades old alliance with the UDF.