Thiruvananthapuram: The Janata Dal (S) Kerala leadership on Friday decided to stall the proposal to form a new party unit in Kerala and instead resolve to remain as the ‘real’ JD(S).
Party state president and MLA Mathew T Thomas told the media after the state leadership meeting that party supremo H D Deve Gowda-led faction’s decision to join NDA was against the party’s anti-BJP stand taken by the national plenary earlier. Hence, Gowda could not remain as party national president anymore.
Kerala unit and other state units opposed to the BJP alliance are the real JD(S), he said.
The Kerala leadership also decided to make efforts to unify other state units opposed to Gowda’s decision to join the NDA and convene a national council to reject the decision.
Thomas also reiterated that the party Kerala unit would remain with the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front. There was no pressure from the Left front to form a new party as the Kerala unit already clarified its anti-BJP position.
Sources said that fear of disqualification of two MLAs of the JD(S) in Kerala, including Power Minister K Krishnan Kutty, in case of forming a new party and lack of consensus among leaders were learnt to have compelled the party to stall plans for forming a new party.
A recent statement of Gowda that the decision to join NDA was taken with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s concurrence had triggered a row. Gowda later withdrew the statement.
(Published 27 October 2023, 14:45 IST)