Kochi: A group of disgruntled senior politicians, who quit their parties recently, have launched a new political outfit in Kerala. The formation of the National Progressive Party (NPP) was announced here on Saturday.
V V Augustine, who was a member of the National Minority Commission, is the chairman of the newly formed party. He is also a former state president of the Nyoonapaksha Morcha, the minority wing of BJP.
Johny Nellore, a three-time MLA who recently quit the Kerala Congress, the most prominent face of the party, is the working chairman of NPP. Former Udumbanchola MLA, who also recently quit the Kerala Congress faction led by veteran P J Joseph, is the vice president.
K D Louis is another vice chairman. Sunny Thomas, Joy Abraham, Thambi Erumelikkara, C P Sugathan and Elizabeth Kadavan are the general secretaries. Dr George Abraham is the treasurer.
The leaders of the new party told reporters that the new organisation would not work under any other party and would keep an equal distance from both the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, Congress-led United Democratic Front as well as the National Democratic Alliance headed by the BJP.
The party, in effect yet another splinter group of the Kerala Congress factions which are spread all over the three major political alliances in the state, has been pitched as a national outfit focusing on the interests of the farmers. During the formation meeting, the party leaders raised two major demands, making its pro-farmer pitch clear. The party has sought a waiver on all farm loans of up to Rs 5 lakhs.
The party has also demanded to raise the procurement price of rubber to Rs 300 per kg. Recently, the Thalassery archbishop proclaimed that the BJP will get an MP from Kerala if the Central Government raised the rubber price to Rs 300. The top priest's statement was read as the Church's open-mindedness to the saffron party.
Though Nellore and his fellow NPP leaders have stated that they don't have any commitment towards the existing political fronts in the state, the floating of a new party, with a prominent Christian presence, is seen as an attempt to get into the NDA fold. For months, there have been speculations of the disgruntled leaders in the UDF planning to form a pro-Christian party with allegiance to the BJP.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a tall leader in the world, Augustine said he will meet the former in Delhi and convey the demands of the party to him. Working Chairman Johnny Nellore said that more leaders and workers from other parties will come to NPP in the coming days. He added that they have no affiliation with any political or communal organisations.
