<p>In a breather for the P J Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (M), the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed a recent order of the Election Commission allocating the party symbol to the rival faction led by Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani, who is also party founder leader K M Mani's son.</p>.<p>Considering an appeal filed by the P J Joseph faction, the High Court stayed the Election Commission order of August 31 for one month. A detailed hearing on the matter would follow.</p>.<p>Reacting to Kerala HC stay on the symbol allocation, P J Joseph said that truth would prevail.</p>.<p>The Election Commission had issued an order on August 31 allocating the party symbol, two eaves, to the Jose K Mani faction mainly considering that out of the seven MPs and MLAs of the party, four were backing the Jose K Mani faction. However, one of the members had expressed dissent maintaining that neither of the factions could be recognised until fresh affidavits of support were received.</p>.<p>The HC stay is an added setback for the Jose K Mani faction as the Congress-led United Democratic Front on Tuesday decided to keep the Jose K Mani faction out of the front for violating an earlier assurance to share a panchayat president post with the Joseph faction. Though the Left Front sent welcome signs to the Jose K Mani faction, they were yet to announce future plans.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, only the Jose K Mani faction was invited to an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday to discuss deferring assembly bypolls and local body polls. Vijayan maintained that the Jose K Mani faction was the one officially recognised by the Election Commission.</p>.<p>Incidentally, the HC stay came a couple of hours after the statement was made. </p>.<p>The infighting in the Kerala Congress (M), a prominent regional party, broke out after the death of K M Mani, the party chairman, last year. While Jose K Mani claimed the chairman post, P J Joseph, who is a veteran leader and former minister, claimed that since he was the party's working chairman, he should have been made party chief in the absence of the chairman. Though Jose K Mani was earlier elected by his faction as party chairman, it was stayed by a local court.</p>
<p>In a breather for the P J Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (M), the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed a recent order of the Election Commission allocating the party symbol to the rival faction led by Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani, who is also party founder leader K M Mani's son.</p>.<p>Considering an appeal filed by the P J Joseph faction, the High Court stayed the Election Commission order of August 31 for one month. A detailed hearing on the matter would follow.</p>.<p>Reacting to Kerala HC stay on the symbol allocation, P J Joseph said that truth would prevail.</p>.<p>The Election Commission had issued an order on August 31 allocating the party symbol, two eaves, to the Jose K Mani faction mainly considering that out of the seven MPs and MLAs of the party, four were backing the Jose K Mani faction. However, one of the members had expressed dissent maintaining that neither of the factions could be recognised until fresh affidavits of support were received.</p>.<p>The HC stay is an added setback for the Jose K Mani faction as the Congress-led United Democratic Front on Tuesday decided to keep the Jose K Mani faction out of the front for violating an earlier assurance to share a panchayat president post with the Joseph faction. Though the Left Front sent welcome signs to the Jose K Mani faction, they were yet to announce future plans.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, only the Jose K Mani faction was invited to an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday to discuss deferring assembly bypolls and local body polls. Vijayan maintained that the Jose K Mani faction was the one officially recognised by the Election Commission.</p>.<p>Incidentally, the HC stay came a couple of hours after the statement was made. </p>.<p>The infighting in the Kerala Congress (M), a prominent regional party, broke out after the death of K M Mani, the party chairman, last year. While Jose K Mani claimed the chairman post, P J Joseph, who is a veteran leader and former minister, claimed that since he was the party's working chairman, he should have been made party chief in the absence of the chairman. Though Jose K Mani was earlier elected by his faction as party chairman, it was stayed by a local court.</p>