KOLLAM: Kerala Congress factions led by R Balakrishna Pillai and Scaria Thomas are set to merge and form a new party, as a precursor to their formal induction into the LDF before the next Lok Sabha polls.
The leaders of both factions met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the merger plan at the Government Guest House here on Monday. The leaders will make a joint announcement on the new party and its strategy in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
Kerala Congress Scaria Thomas faction has been associating with the Left since the last Assembly polls.
Kerala Congress (B) too was looking for an entry into the LDF and its lone MLA K B Ganesh Kumar was a contender for ministerial post whenever expansion of the ministry was discussed.