A faction of the JD(S), led by party veteran and former state minister CK Nanu, has called for a meeting of the national executive of the party in Thiruvananthapuram on November 15. The meeting is meant to sort out the differences in the Kerala unit of the party that arose after JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda announced his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA last month. The Kerala unit of JD(S), an ally of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government in the state, refused to tag along with Gowda and said that they would stay put.
Ever since Gowda’s announcement to join the NDA, rival parties in Kerala have been taking potshots at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, with the Congress terming him the "leader" of BJP's team B, while the State BJP leadership is asking JD(S)'s unit to either join them or have their two legislators quit the LDF.
In Kerala, the JD(S) is a full-fledged ally of the ruling CPI(M)-led Left, and its nominee K Krishnankutty is the state Power Minister and its state President Mathew T Thomas is a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Both the leaders have categorically slammed Gowda for his decision.
Another controversy had broken out last month when Deve Gowda claimed in a press meet that the JD(S)’s decision to join the NDA had the consent of the Kerala CM. However, Pinarayi Vijayan stoutly denied the claim and a day later, Deve Gowda denied ever making such a claim.
Read: Deve Gowda denies claiming that CPI(M) supported JD(S)-BJP alliance: Details
Despite a few meetings of the state leadership of the JD(S), nothing concrete has come out as a section of the party is miffed over the ousting of Karnataka state president CM Ibrahim who opposed Gowda's decision. Upset over the development, CK Nanu has convened the meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on November 15.
However, Mathew T Thomas said that he did not know of such a meeting called by Nanu, clearly signaling that the faction led by Krishnankutty and himself is on a different plane.
(With inputs from IANS)