THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting an end to the uncertainty, the NCP has made it clear that the party will continue in the Left front. With this, the AK Saseendran faction has clearly won the inner-party tussle. The NCP leadership meet in New Delhi on Wednesday, during which CPM secretary Sitaram Yechury made a surprise visit, also decided to contest from its four current seats including Pala. Praful Patel has been assigned to hold further talks with the LDF leadership.
A final decision on the contentious Pala constituency has not been made yet. Patel is expected to hold talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other senior Left leaders in this regard. On Wednesday, NCP state leaders including T P Peethambaran, minister A K Saseendran and Mani C Kappan met party national chief Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel in New Delhi and held discussions. Yechury, who dropped in at the meeting held at Sharad Pawar’s house, is learnt to have asked the NCP to continue in the Left front. Sources said Pawar has conveyed the NCP’s decision that none of its sitting seats can be parted with.
The NCP is of the view that there’s no justification for demanding that the Pala seat should be given away.“The NCP will fight the assembly elections as part of the Left front,” Patel told the media after the meeting. In 2016, the NCP had contested from four seats -- Elathur, Kottakkal, Pala and Kuttanad. This time too, the party will demand that it should be given these four seats.There are indications that the NCP is also looking at other options. If the LDF is not ready to let go off the Pala seat, the party may demand another winnable seat, in addition to a Rajya Sabha seat. A couple of other options too are being mulled over by the party.
Chances of giving the Rajya sabha seat that fell vacant after Jose K Mani resigned are less. The election to the seat will be held before the assembly elections. The Mani C Kappan-T P Peethambaran faction has been unhappy over the Pala issue and was considering to leave the LDF.