"Strong action should be taken against Mani for his statement. It is for the party to which Mani belongs to take necessary action", CPI state secretary Pannyan Ravindran told reporters here without naming CPI-M.
He said LDF would hold Mani responsible if its candidate does not register a 'convincing win' in the Neyattinkara by-election, for which polling was held yesterday.
"It is certain the LDF candidate Lawrence will win, but it will not be a thumping victory as we hoped. Mani's statement at a public meeting at Thodupuzha in Idukki district recently has diminished our expectations of a huge win", Ravindran said.
Mani had stated at a public meeting at Thodupuzha last week that the CPI-M had eliminated its foes in the past.
He said Mani's statement had given UDF, facing the toughest period of its rule, a tool to fight in the bypoll.
To a query on Mani's charge that the CPI was intervening in the affairs of CPI-M, Ravindran responded, "that is his opinion. His comments do not deserve any reply".
He said the CPI would have replied earlier to Mani's charges but refrained from doing so due to the Neyattinkara bypoll.
Asked about Leader of Opposition V S Achuthanandan's surprise visit yesterday to slain Revolutionary Marxist Party T P Chandrasekharan's residence at Onchiyam, he said, "we cannot find fault with him for his visit. Choosing the time and day was at the discretion of Achuthanandan", he said.
Achuthanandan, at loggerheads with the state CPI-M leadership, had paid the visit a day after slamming the state party leadership and his bete noire Pinarayi Vijayan for finding fault with the media and the police team probing the murder.
