“Development of Pala will be my priority now,” said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C Kappan, as he took oath as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Pala constituency in Kottayam on Wednesday. Mani was the coalition candidate of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala.
Mani Kappan, a film producer and actor, took oath in English at the Banquet Hall of State Assembly, also known as Niyama Sabha, in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, Law and Cultural Minister AK Balan and State Minister for Electricity MM Mani, among others were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
The bye-polls in Pala was Mani Kappan’s first entry into the state Assembly after he was defeated by former MLA KM Mani for three consecutive years since 2006. The bye-elections in Pala was necessitated following the death of Kerala Congress (Mani) party’s tallest leader KM Mani in April this year.
Pala constituency has predominantly been the bastion of Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF). KM Mani held the fort as its MLA for 50 years. In fact, after 1980, this is the second time that LDF won from the constituency. That year, KM Mani was LDF’s candidate and thus won in 1980.
In the recently concluded bye-elections, Mani Kappan defeated UDF candidate Jose Tom of the Kerala Congress (M) by a margin of 2,943 votes. Mani Kappan polled 54,137 votes, while Jose Tom won 51,194 votes.
Speaking to the media after the swearing-in ceremony, Mani Kappan said, “If LDF won majority in Pala, that is the result of good deeds and actions of the Left.” He also said that he is not eyeing any ministerial post in the state Cabinet.
When asked about the graft allegations against him and CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Mani said he had nothing more to say than what he had mentioned in the affidavit submitted to the returning officer while filing his nomination papers.
He also said that he has filed a defamation suit against Mumbai-based Malayali businessman Dinesh Menon. The businessman had filed a complaint with the CBI alleging that Mani had swindled Rs 3.5 crore from him after promising to give him shares in the Kannur airport.
Bye-elections for five assembly constituencies of Kerala - Vattiyoorkavu, Ernakulam, Aroor, Konni and Manjeshwaram - will be held on October 21 and the results will be declared on October 24.