A high-level political meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has put off to Tuesday a decision on the fate of PC George as chief whip of the Kerala government.

Chandy met separately with George, who is cice-chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), as well as KM Mani, Finance Minister and chairman of the party.

The two are locked in what is seen as a clash of colossal political proportion, with a settlement either way expected to have a significant bearing on how the coalition government will be run for the rest of its tenure.

George is learnt to have refused to resign as chief whip; he has dared Mani to expel him from the party. Mani is not playing the ball either since conceding ground in this manner would deny him the best chance to blunt the edge of George’s disruptive and confrontational politics.

Mani’s game plan is to divest George of power, rein him in within the larger UDF, and not allow him the luxury of reviving his own party without inviting the provisions of the anti-defection law.

Now that George has refused to bite this bait, it boils down to the Chief Minister to take a final call.

Earlier in the day, Chandy had met Mani in the company of Industries Minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikkutty and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

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