KOTTAYAM: After the infighting in Kerala Congress (M) affected the UDF, the crisis appears to have spread over to the LDF with the prolonged internal squabbles in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after the death of its former state president Uzhavoor Vijayan reaching a crescendo. In a major setback to NCP candidate, Mani C Kappen in Pala, a section of people under the aegis of NCP national executive member Jacob Puthuppally on Sunday decided to pull out of the party even as a week is left for the by-election.
According to Jacob, 42 NCP members resigned from the party in protest against the discriminatory politics and autocratic stance of the party leadership in the state. “The state leadership is acting with a vengeance against those who stood by Uzhavoor Vijayan. While the four district committees were disbanded for owing allegiance to Uzhavoor, five members were suspended from Kottayam district committee without any valid reasons,” he said.
Jacob said more people will resign in the coming days as several members were disappointed with the functioning of the party leadership. Earlier, there was a strong protest from a section of NCP members against fielding Kappen in the Pala by-election. Some of them had sent letters to the state leadership requesting not to field Kappen.
The NCP district leadership trashed reports of party members’ resignation. “While Jacob Puthuppally is already under suspension, other persons are not NCP members. Party had suspended six members, including Jacob, and they approached the party for revoking the suspension. When their attempts failed they are trying to dishonour the party,” said Kanakkary Aravindakshan, NCP district president.