In a bid to get out of its political wilderness, the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) has staked a claim in the Cabinet in the second Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry.
The development comes in the wake of the decision of the CPI(M) State secretariat not to offer ministership to its junior partners with single legislator. The LJD, which contested three sitting seats of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), was able to emerge victorious only in the Koothuparamba constituency.
LJD State president M.V. Shreyams Kumar and Kozhikode district president Manayath Chandran lost the Kalpetta and Vadakara seats respectively.
Senior party functionaries met CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan and sought a berth for its lone legislator K.P. Mohanan. The CPI(M) leadership appeared to be non-committal on their demand as other partners KC(B), Congress(S), Janadhipathiya Kerala Congress and several Independents also had to be satisfied, sources said.
However, the CPI(M) leadership believes that the induction of the LJD helped its party candidates in either sailing through or narrowly achieving success in many segments in Kozhikode district. This was unlike its socialist rival, the JD(S), which without much political clout retained two seats out of the four the party contested. That will ensure JD(S) a berth in the new Cabinet.
Sources said the LJD State secretariat will meet on Friday to take stock of the situation.
