Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala unit of the Janata Dal (Secular) has decided to merge with the newly formed Indian Socialist Janata Dal (ISJD), seeking to end the political uncertainty triggered by the party’s national leadership aligning with the BJP.

JD(S) MLA Mathew T Thomas and Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty have formally informed Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer of the decision. A merger conference will be held on January 17 at 10 am at the Ernakulam Town Hall. The Indian Socialist Janata Dal will thus continue as a constituent of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

Explaining the decision, Mathew T Thomas and K Krishnankutty said the Kerala unit was compelled to distance itself from the party’s Karnataka stance, where Janata Dal (Secular) entered into an electoral alliance with the BJP, contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as part of the NDA, and later joined the Union Cabinet.

The situation had turned contentious, with MLAs of a party aligned with the NDA in Karnataka continuing as part of the LDF and the Kerala Cabinet. As the Opposition began using the issue to target the government, the Kerala unit decided to chart a separate course, leading to its merger with the Indian Socialist Janata Dal, which has been newly registered with the Election Commission.

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