On Monday, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) appeared to attempt to avoid a split in the State unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
It reportedly encouraged Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran and Mani C. Kappan, both NCP legislators, to initiate talks to avoid a permanent parting of ways.
The ruling front seemed disinclined to lose its image as a cohesive political force as it readies to face the Assembly polls in May.
Frosty relations
The LDF wanted the NCP leaders to smoothen the “frosty relations” caused by the report that the ruling front was inclined to hand over the Pala Assembly seat to Jose. K. Mani of the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)].
Mr. Jose was intensely emotional about Pala and considered it the legacy of his late father and KC(M) founder K.M. Mani. He hoped to contest from the constituency.
Mr. Kappan had wrested the Pala seat from the KC(M) in the Assembly byelection in 2019. Mr. Kappan has made it evident that he would quit the LDF than give up the hard-won constituency. NCP State president T.P. Peethambaran is backing Mr. Kappan.
Power centre
However, Mr. Saseendran, another power centre in the NCP, reportedly held a different view. He has purportedly argued for an accommodation with the KC(M).
In intra-party meetings, Mr. Saseendran reportedly said he was not inclined to jump ship.
The LDF stood a reasonable chance of winning a second term. The United Democratic Front (UDF) was on the “decline”, he said. The variance in views of the two leaders and reports of UDF overtures to Mr. Kappan appeared to have set the stage for a split in the NCP in Kerala.
Other options
Mr. Peethambaran had said that Pala seat was not on the negotiating table when the LDF weighed Mr. Jose’s entry. Mr. Kappan had repeatedly dropped hints that he would explore political options outside the LDF if the ruling front accorded Pala to KC(M).
A few NCP leaders alleged the CPI also felt sidelined by KC(M). They also denied that KC(M) had brought rich dividends to the LDF in the local body polls as claimed by Mr. Jose.
