The merger of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the State has been put on hold at least for a month till the conclusion of the annual camp of leaders of the former at Charalkunnu in Pathanamthitta.
The three-day camp of State council members and mandalam presidents will be held in the popular hill station, near Ranni, from August 2.
Only then a final decision on the merger will be taken, a senior functionary of the LJD told The Hindu on Monday.
The fresh development comes with C.K. Nanu, MLA, being elected president of the JD(S) in Kerala.
Its national president H.D. Deve Gowda announced the decision on Sunday possibly to stave off a disastrous situation in that party following a fierce rivalry between the factions led by Mathew T. Thomas and Minister K. Krishnankutty.
Entry into LDF
Now Mr. Thomas, who was forced to quit his ministerial berth earlier, has been made legislative party leader.
The merger of the LJD and the JD(S) had gained traction after the entry of the former to the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the State before the Lok Sabha polls.
Merger proposal
The proposal for the merger was mooted for various reasons. The party was also denied an opportunity to contest the parliamentary elections though it had vociferously demanded the Vadakara seat.
Both the JD(S) and the LJD favoured unity to have a more bargaining power in coalition politics. However, the JD(S) has a supremacy as the party is in power in Karnataka, in alliance with the Congress, and has three legislators. It also has a Cabinet berth in Kerala.
Previously Mr. Gowda had reservations about offering the post of the president after the merger of two parties.
At the same time, the LJD-led by M.P. Veerendrakumar and his son M.V. Shreyams Kumar has no elected representatives.
Incidentally, Mr. Veerendrakumar was elected to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the CPI(M)-led LDF when he was State president of the Janata Dal (U) Sharad Yadav faction. However, the LJD even in its new avatar has a presence in some districts including Kozhikode and Kannur.
