The power struggle in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)‘s Kerala unit is apparently showing no sign of abating, with Minister for Forest and Wildlife A.K. Saseendran refusing to step down, hindering Kuttanad legislator Thomas K. Thomas’ claim for a berth in the Kerala Cabinet.
Sources said that Mr. Saseendran had also thrown down the gauntlet to his factional rivals in the party, led by party State president P.C. Chacko, stating that he would resign his membership from the Legislative Assembly if he were to put down his papers. Whether his political brinkmanship will work or not remains to be seen.
Sharad Pawar’s call awaited
Mr. Saseendran had already apprised Chief Minister Pinaray Vijayan of the ongoing developments in the NCP, particularly the growing demand for his replacement with the second MLA in the party. Now, the State unit of the NCP is awaiting a final decision from the national leadership led by Sharad Pawar. This would be known in the coming days, sources said.
While the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) might seek to de-escalate tensions within its minor ally, its leadership is hesitant to go for a bypoll in the Elathur Assembly segment from where Mr. Saseendran won, given the political climate in Kerala. Probably, Mr. Saseendran raised the issue of his resignation from the Assembly either to safeguard his position in the Cabinet or as a strategic filibuster to delay the matter, sources said.
Mr. Saseendran had won from the Elathur constituency in Kozhikode thrice since its inception in 2011 and he had secured a victory margin of over 38,500 votes in the 2021 Assembly polls. Though the segment is a CPI (M) stronghold, M.K. Raghavan of the Congress secured a lead of over 10,000 in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Factors for replacement
Previously Mr. Chacko, along with Mr. Thomas, had been for quite some time seeking the removal of Mr. Saseendran from the Cabinet, and this was endorsed by the State committee and the majority of the district units. One of the factors attributed to his replacement was that the two MLAs should share the Cabinet berth allocated to the party for the two-and-half years each to ensure equal opportunities in the corridors of power.
Mr. Chacko, one of the national working presidents, maintains a close relationship with the national president, Sharad Pawar. On the other hand, Mr. Saseendran, who also was a Minister in the previous LDF government, might face a daunting task to favourably receive the Chief Minister’s support, sources said.
Ever since he joined the NCP in 2021 after parting ways with the Congress, Mr. Chacko has been consolidating his position in the party and now the move to remove Mr. Saseendran would be his game plan to gain more influence in the Kerala government.
Published - September 05, 2024 01:07 pm IST
