Janata Dal (S) faction leaves LDF, to join hands with UDF

Janata Dal (S) faction leaves LDF, to join hands with UDF
George Thomas

Kottayam/Kozhikode: In protest against national president HD Deve Gowda's pro-BJP stand, a faction of Janata Dal (Secular) in Kerala led by party's secretary general George Thomas has decided to quit the Left Democratic Front and instead cooperate with the opposition United Democratic Front.

The split in the party unit in Kerala was inevitable after George Thomas was elected as the state president of the party faction at a meeting held in Kottayam on Thursday.

"We will fight against the BJP by joining hands with the Congress. I will resign from the post of chairman of Forest Development Corporation," George Thomas said.

The faction which was sulking since the national leadership removed C K Nanu, MLA, as the party's state president.

However, the group led by S Chandrakumar who is the working president has decided not to cross over to the UDF and has initiated discussions with the LDF leadership.

George Thomas claimed that 61 of the 92 members of the state council took part in the meeting. After a meeting of the 50-member elected committee of JD(S) was convened on Thursday, 42 among them attended.

He claimed that his faction had the majority in 10 districts and this can be proved if the district committee meetings are convened.

Breakaway faction claims Nanu's support

While the breakaway faction claimed that former state president Nanu was with it, a final decision is yet to be taken on the matter. Meanwhile, Nanu had also participated in the meeting convened by the official faction the other day.

The official faction said that the party had not suffered a split and disgruntled elements who were thrown out of the organization had formed a new outfit.

Nothing to do with new faction, says C K Nanu

While admitting that there were certain problems in the state unit of Janata Dal (Secular), C K Nanu said that the faction which broke away and formed a new outfit did not have his support.

He said the issues need to be resolved within the party. "I am sad that some of our colleagues have left the party. They should return to the party fold. Whatever may be the issues, I will always remain in the Janata Dal (S)," Nanu said.

'Political drama'

Janata Dal (S) state president Mathew T Thomas said the reported split in the Kerala unit of the JD(S) was nothing but a big political drama.

Without naming George Thomas, the state president said that the person who appeared before the media as secretary general of the JD(S) was actually removed from the organization by national president H D Deve Gowda in November for anti-party activities. All state office-bearers, MLAs, district presidents and people’s representatives who won on party symbol had held a meeting and rejected the activities of rebels.

"I understand some of the persons who were out of the party have crossed over to the UDF. It will be a futile exercise to show the differences among the breakaway faction as split in the party," he added.

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