: Kerala Congress (Jacob) chairman Johny Nelloor said it was high time all Kerala Congress (KC) parties like that headed by Mani, Joseph, Balakrishna Pillai and his party merged to a single political party for stable growth of democracy and to avoid backwardness of Kerala.
Speaking to reporters here, he suggested that Mani and Joseph take the initiative for it.
On reported attempts by certain KC leaders to make Finance minister K M Mani Chief Minister by replacing the incumbent CM, he said 'Mani is quite capable of being Chief Minister of Kerala'.
He said there was no need to replace Chandy with Mani at this juncture, as he had proved to be an able and efficient administrator in three years in office, a fact acknowledged by all, he added.
To a query on divesting of his party's nominee (Anoop Jacob, Civil Supplies Minister) from the council of ministers in the name of reshuffling the ministry, he said there was not even a remote possibility for it at this juncture.
