Setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle, the P J Joseph faction in the Kerala Congress (M) Monday secured a stay order from a local court against election of Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani as party chairman.
Challenging the Joseph faction, Jose K Mani said the legal battle in connection with the election of the party chairman would continue.
Necessary legal steps would be taken after examining the court order, he said.
The court order comes a day after the party suffered a split following a faction supporting Jose K Mani electing him as the party chairman.
The temporary prohibitory injunction was issued by a munsif court at Thodupuzha on a plea filed by two state committee members of the party Philip Stephen and Manohar Naduviledath.
A senior party leader, who did not wish to be named, said the court hasissued the order restraining Jose K Mani from officiating as chairman of KC(M) and from discharging any function and powers attached to the office of the chairman of the party.
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Mani has also been prevented from taking disciplinary action against party office-bearers and workers and sending letters to the Election Commission or any other statutory authorities, he said.
Armed with the support of the court order, Joseph Monday hit out at the Jose K Mani faction, saying the majority of those who attended the state committee meeting convened by him in Kottayam on Sunday were not real members of the party.
The meeting was illegal, he alleged and claimed the decision taken in the meeting would not sustain legally.
In a setback to Jose K Mani, some prominent leaders, including MLA C F Thomas, former Rajya Sabha MP Joy Abraham and former MLA Thomas Unniyadan Monday joined the Joseph faction.
They were known for their allegiance to Jose K Manis late father and KC(M) founder K M Mani.
The developments in the party capped weeks-long infighting in the party between supporters of Jose K Mani and working chairman PJ Joseph following the death of KM Mani in April this year.
Joseph, in his capacity as working chairman, declared the election as invalid and said it was against the party Constitution.
The Jose K Mani faction has claimed that out of 437 state committee members of the party, as many as 325 attended the meeting which elected the new party chairman.
The Kerala Congress which has a history of splits since its inception in 1964, has a strong base in the central Travancore belt, especially among Christians.
Senior leaders of the party, including former Rajya Sabha MP Joy Abraham, MLAs CF Thomas and Monce Joseph, had not attended the meeting.
Out of five MLAs of the Kerala Congress (M), only two -- had attended the meeting.
Jose K Mani's followers said KC(M)'s Idukki MLA Roshy Augustine and Kanjirappally MLA N Jayaraj and lone Lok Sabha MP of the party, Thomas Chazhikadan, were the prominent leaders who attended the meeting.
Trouble had been brewing in the party following the death of KM Mani.
The party's organisational general secretary Joy Abraham's letter to Chief Election Officer Teeka Ram Meena declaring Joseph as KC(M) chairman after the veteran's death had been opposed by the faction headed by Jose K Mani.
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