Malappuram: The national leadership of the Nationalist Congress Party, including president Sharad Pawar, is keen that the party should contest from Pala in the assembly election and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and others have been informed about the party’s desire, NCP national secretary NA Mohammed Kutty claimed.
The LDF will continue to rule Kerala, Mohammed Kutty stated while reasoning that it would a foolish move if his party decides to switch to the UDF now. "Therefore, will anyone want to get onto a sinking ship?" He wondered when asked about the possibility of the NCP joining hands with the UDF.
The Opposition parties in the country are looking up to Sharad Pawar who has been uniting parties opposed to the BJP at the national level, he added.
Earlier it was reported that Pawar too wants NCP to stay put in the LDF camp. However, he is the opinion that denying the sitting seat to Pala legislator Mani Kappan amounted to injustice on the part of the LDF. The latter too is of the opinion that one need not compromise on a seat that has been already won and that too after a long struggle to reclaim it.
On the LDF pressure to part with Pala, Mohammed Kutty said seat-sharing talks have not started in the LDF. "The party will have clarity on the seats to be allocated to it only after the talks get over," he noted.
As reported earlier Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani may try his electoral luck from Pala. If Jose decides to contest from Kaduthuruthy then Roshy Augustine, the Idukki MLA, will enter the electoral fray from this constituency represented for half a century by K M Mani, Jose's father.
The seat-sharing talks are being held by the Kerala Congress (M) with the LDF leadership with the hope that it would be allotted at least 13 seats including Pala over which the former has likely received an assurance; hence the anxiety in the NCP camp though an influential section in the party doesn't mind giving it up for Jose K Mani's party.
Meanwhile, PJ Joseph of the Kerala Congress' rival faction reiterated that Kappan will leave the LDF soon.
Asked if he would contest from the Kottakkal legislative assembly constituency again, Mohammed Kutty said it is too early to say anything about it.
He had lost to the IUML’s KK Abid Hussain Thangal from here in the last assembly election in 2016.
