The Kerala unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) was dissolved with immediate effect by former Prime Minister and party supremo HD Deve Gowda on Monday. Accusing the state president CK Nanu of destablising the party, he appointed MLA and former state minister Mathew T Thomas as its ad-hoc committee president.
Nanu is a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Vadakara constituency in Kerala.
"I have dissolved the Kerala Pradesh Janata Dal (Secular) with immediate effect. Further, I have appointed Mathew T Thomas as President of the ad-hoc Committee of the Kerala Pradesh Janata Dal (Secular)," the JD(S) patriarch said in his order.
Deve Gowda's action came in response to Nanu's reported inaction to take steps as directed by the party's national working president BM Farookh.
According to the order, Farookh had served Nanu a notice with a slew of directions on September 24.
However, Nanu neither adhered to it nor gave any reply, Gowda said.
"Nanu has not taken any steps to strengthen the state unit of [JD(S) in] Kerala. On the contrary, he has acted to destabilise the party and has not consulted the core committee," Deve Gowda wrote in the order.
The other members of the ad-hoc committee are Jose Thettaiyil and Jameela Prakasam, who will serve as vice presidents.
Benny Moonjely, V Murugadas and Bejly Joseph are the general secretaries while Mohammed Sha will be the treasurer, the order said.
JD(S) is active in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh. The party was formed after the split of the Janta Dal 21 years ago. In Kerala, JD(S) has been an ally of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). The party has three MLAs from the state now - Nanu from Vadakara, K Krishnankutty from Chittur and Mathew T Thomas from Thiruvalla.
(With PTI input)
Watch: JD(S) Kerala unit dissolved