With the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) Central committee approving the party State unit’s decision to join hands with the rival RSP (Baby John) for the Lok Sabha elections and work as a united entity in Kerala, the way has been cleared for the merger of the two parties.
Party sources said the RSP Central committee, which met in New Delhi on Saturday, also approved the State unit’s decision to become part of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) even as the Bengal unit of the party remained a constituent of the Left Front there.
The party would hold a plenum before the year end both to ratify the Kerala unit’s decision to move out of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and explore the possibilities for a new political line.
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Kerala leaders told the Central committee that given the refusal of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to accommodate them in the electoral battle, there was no other option but to leave the LDF. Although there was speculation that party general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan would be held to account for his refusal to initiate action against the State leadership, the Central committee meeting was appreciative of the manner in which he had handled the crisis and averted a split in the State unit by allotting the party symbol to N.K. Premachandran.
Prof. Chandrachoodan had simultaneously allotted the RSP symbol to the party nominees in Bengal as well. With the RSP drawing a blank in Bengal, Mr. Premachandran has become the party’s lone MP in the 16 Lok Sabha. The RSP Central committee would now function from his official residence in Delhi.
In Kerala, RSP (B) leader Shibu Baby John would continue to be the party’s lone nominee in the Oommen Chandy Cabinet. The merger meet would take place at Kollam on June 10. Central leaders from Bengal would attend the conference, which would be attended by around 3,000 delegates representing the two parties.
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