Mani Shankar Aiyar defies Cong leadership, attends Keraleeyam seminar

In a significant political development that poses a setback for the state Congress leadership, Mani Shankar Aiyar, a senior Congress leader, chose to participate in the Keraleeyam celebration organized by the LDF government, disregarding appeals from the party’s leadership urging him not to attend.

Aiyar’s decision to be part of the event comes in the midst of the Congress and UDF’s decision to boycott Keraleeyam, citing concerns about excessive spending during a severe financial crisis in the state. Despite the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leadership’s request to refrain from attending, Aiyar traveled to Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday and actively engaged in a seminar focused on ‘Local Self-Governments in Kerala.’ Meanwhile, the Congress leadership has escalated the matter to the high command for further consideration.

In his address during the event, Aiyar acknowledged the party’s directive to abstain from attending Keraleeyam, saying, “While I was en route to Kerala, they asked me not to attend Keraleeyam. Nonetheless, I decided to be present here, not to defy the party, but as a tribute to Rajiv Gandhi. Panchayat Raj, in its truest sense, took root in Kerala after the Rajiv Gandhi government passed the act in Parliament. I hope my party will not expel or take severe action against me.