KM Mani, widely considered the doyen of modern Kerala politics who led the most popular faction of the Kerala Congress in the state, passed away at the age of 86 at a private hospital in Kochi on Tuesday. It was a ‘United Front’ government, the coalition of which included the CPI, Congress and factions of the Kerala Congress. READ | Remembering Mani Sir, the forever politician of PalaThrough the late 70s, Mani remained in the state cabinet handling the portfolios of the home and finance ministries even as the chief ministers kept changing. Factional feuds were considered a trademark of the Kerala Congress, where leaders did not see eye to eye and consistently fought for power. In 2018, however, just before a crucial bypoll in central Kerala, Mani and his party returned to the UDF after failed attempts to join the Opposition Left-led coalition.

Source: Indian Express April 09, 2019 11:37 UTC