Jolt to NDA as P.C. Thomas withdraws his candidature

But the front leadership is likely to field either a nominee of Mr. Thomas or a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.

The decision of Kerala Congress leader P.C. Thomas to opt out of the contest in the Pala Assembly segment has come as a jolt to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but the front leadership is likely to field either a nominee of Mr. Thomas or a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.

Mr. Thomas, who had earlier won as NDA candidate from Muvattupuzha to the Lok Sabha, was picked up to be pitted against Kerala Congress (M) veteran and former Finance Minister K.M. Mani. With the Left Democratic Front (LDF) deciding to have Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C. Kappan, Pala was set to witness a strong three-cornered contest.

But Mr. Thomas has opted out citing personal reasons. Since the NDA has not yet wrapped up the seat-sharing talks with its allies, the issue is expected to be sorted out in the next two days.

BJP sources told

The Hindu here that Mr. Thomas had expressed his inability to contest but had not yet clarified whether the party would have its candidate or not. Once Mr. Thomas spells out his stance, the BJP would take a final call on the issue.

The election management committees of the BJP had already prepared a panel of three probable candidates for all the segments before opening seat-sharing parleys with the allies.

This was aimed at ensuring that the NDA would have its candidate in all the 140 segments. A similar panel has been prepared for Pala and if needed, the party would have its candidate there, the sources said.

The BJP’s decision to accommodate all parties which strayed into the NDA from the LDF and the United Democratic Front (UDF) had drawn the flak that it has been reduced to a motley crowd without a minimum programme as in the case of the rival fronts.

The cohesion of the front comprising a number of minor allies also became questionable.

But the BJP leadership explains the formation of the front as its larger strategy to make a dent in the strong bipolar politics and also to get rid of the stigma of being an upper caste party.

The presence of a number of allies is expected to win the support of certain sections which were alien to the party so far.

Whether the experiment would be a success is what remains to be seen.