What is Congress up to in opposing merger of Joseph and Mani factions?

It is somehow inscrutable why Congress is this vehement in opposing merger of Joseph and Mani factions of Kerala Congress. It is already preparing to receive the R.Balakrishna Pillai faction of Kerala Congress into the party. The moment Congress gives the green signal, Pillai and son actor Ganeshkumar would plunge into the Congress Party.

If the reticence is only to put Joseph in the hot Sun for some time and extract some sort of a surrender from Mani, it would be sadly mistaken. True, Congress may not be happy about Kerala Congress strengthening itself.

In politics, minuscule issues had bloated out of proportion and brought about unforeseen consequences. Perhaps, the very formation of Kerala Congress could have been avoided, if some leaders had shown diligence.
You cannot dismiss Kerala Congress as such, with whatever foibles it has. It is a power to reckon with in various parts of the state.
And Congress is not that steely strong. Holding party elections would render it shattered with group manoeuvres. Already the situation has started going out of control. It seems the high command has seen to the danger and issued instructions to sort out the leadership issue through consensus.

No doubt, the LDF would not be bothered about anyone leaving the front now. Its concern for power grabbing would be in 2016, by when, hopefully, Pinarayi Vijayan would have emerged clear and clean from Lavalin allegations. Legally proving the charges is a little difficult.

Anyway V.S.Achuthanandan would complete his five-year term, without the heartiest support of the party runners.

Congress aiming to grab power without Kerala Congress appears to be ludicrous.