NEW DELHI: The Janata Dal (Secular) has formally split in Kerala, with the party national executive committee deciding to continue the alliance with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the faction led by the party’s Kerala state president M P Veerendra Kumar deciding not to abide by the decision.
The party’s national executive nominated state vice-president N M Joseph and former transport minister Mathew T Thomas as new representatives of the party to the LDF committee. The party national secretary in-charge of organisational matters, Danish Ali, said that the party would join the LDF ministry if invited.
“The party has examined all aspects of the resolutions adopted by the party. We have decided to abide by the people’s mandate (in the last Assembly elections) and be part of the LDF. Any individual or group who does not abide by this decision will face strict disciplinary action,” said party president and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda here on Saturday after the party’s national executive meeting.
He also added that in no state did the JD (S) have any kind of alliance with the Congress, the BJP or their allies. He said that the party’s national leadership had earlier given permission to the state leadership to withdraw the minister from the LDF Government considering the request of the state leadership to mark their protest against the negligence towards the party in the seat distribution talks during the Lok Sabha elections.