NEW DELHI: A thaw in the strained relations between the Congress and the Kerala Congress (Mani) was apparent on Saturday after the top leadership of the two parties met here in the Capital to iron out differences that broke out between the two over Rajya Sabha nominations.

Briefing mediapersons after his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Kerala Congress (Mani) leader K. M. Mani said: "Soniaji told me that my party will not be let down in future in anyway.''

However, a decision on whether the Mani group will lift its boycott of United Democratic Front (UDF) meetings will be taken after Mr. Mani discusses the issue with other party leaders in Kerala.

The two leaders met for 40 minutes and this meeting was preceded on Friday with a discussion between Mr. Mani and Ms. Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel. Mr. Mani told Ms. Gandhi that his group had been a faithful and honest ally of the Congress for 30 years.

However, he pointed out that the Congress had not reciprocated in like fashion.

In particular, the State's former Finance Minister is said to have pointed out that his party had been denied a Rajya Sabha nomination six times on some pretext or the other. Citing recent examples, he said the Congress denied his group a Rajya Sabha nomination to accommodate Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, A. K. Antony and now P. J. Kurien. Every time, the Congress would assure the Kerala Congress (Mani) that the next vacancy in the Rajya Sabha would be given to it but would insist on the latter giving up its claim to the seat at the eleventh hour.

Upset at being taken for granted time and again, Mr. Mani said: "The fact that we accommodate Congress interests should not be seen as a sign of weakness.'' Describing the recent denial of the Rajya Sabha seat by the Congress to accommodate Mr. Kurien as the proverbial last straw on the camel's back, he said it was a very "humiliating experience.''

Unilateral decisions

Earlier, according to Mr. Mani, all constituents of the UDF had a say in decision-making but in recent years, the Congress had begun to take unilateral decisions that ran contrary to the coalition dharma.

Stating that the identity and concerns of all constituents should be factored in a coalition arrangement, Mr. Mani said he also discussed measures to strengthen the UDF with Ms. Gandhi.

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