THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The factional feud within the Janata Dal (Secular) reached a boiling point as party supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday dissolved the Kerala unit under veteran C K Nanu with immediate effect. Gowda appointed an ad hoc committee with Mathew T Thomas as president. The infighting in the party, a constituent of the ruling Left front in the state, has come at a time when the front is gearing up for elections.
This extreme step by Gowda is the culmination of a long-standing feud within the party. The JD(S) patriarch accused Nanu, who is party’s Vadakara MLA, of destabilising the party. In his directive, Gowda said the Kerala unit has been dissolved with immediate effect. He said Nanu has not taken any steps to strengthen the party’s state unit. There have been issues within the JD(S) for some time. Of late, the party national and state leadership had come into a direct confrontation after Nanu refused to comply with certain directives issued by party national working president B M Farookh on September 24.
The action comes while the party has been in merger talks with another Left ally Loktantrik Janata Dal.
Though Gowda had given the green signal to go ahead with the merger, the final decision was not taken.
Similarly, there were tussles between leaders over the appointment of party’s Kottayam district president.
Speaking to TNIE, Mathew T Thomas said there won’t be any further disciplinary action. The attempt would be to take along everyone. “The decision was taken by the national committee. The party will welcome the move, once LJD comes forward to merge with JD(S),” he said.