THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the national leadership of the NCP giving the green signal, the party’s state leadership is all set to replace its minister in the LDF cabinet. However, incumbent minister A K Saseendran is not keen to step down and has pinned his hopes on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
NCP state chief P C Chacko told TNIE that a decision has been taken by national president Sharad Pawar to replace Saseendran with the party’s Kuttanad MLA Thomas K Thomas. Chacko said he, along with Saseendran and Thomas, would meet the CM soon to inform him of the party decision.
“The parliamentary party leadership made the decision and the national president has entrusted me to convey the decision to the CM. We are planning to meet him on October 3,” he said.
At the same time, Saseendran remains hopeful that a number of district chiefs will stand by him. He also hopes that the CM will not be keen to bring Thomas into the cabinet. If the CM is convinced that there is a difference of opinion within the party, he may choose to postpone it further, Saseendran feels. The demand for sharing the cabinet berth has been on in the NCP for some time. Thomas is of the view that right from the beginning of the second Pinarayi government, there has been an understanding that the cabinet berth would be shared between the two MLAs. Initially, Chacko was not keen on Thomas’ demand. But recently he switched sides, which led to discussions on replacing the minister.
“Going by the understanding in the LDF, single-MLA parties have received a cabinet term of only two-and-a-half-years. The NCP got a full term as it has two MLAs. So, naturally, the cabinet berth should be shared between the two,” a senior leader pointed out.
Meanwhile, there were reports that Saseendran demanded that he be made the party state chief if Thomas is made a minister. However, Chacko said Saseendran has not made any such demand before the party national leadership.