THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unrest has been brewing within LDF ally Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). A section of senior leaders from the warring faction met national chief Sharad Yadav on Saturday seeking to remove state president M V Shreyams Kumar in view of the party’s lacklustre performance in the recent assembly elections and failure to obtain a cabinet berth in the Left government.
LJD national general secretary Varghese George, state general secretary Sheikh P Harris, K P Mohanan, MLA, and state vice-president V Surendran Pillai met Yadav in Delhi and demanded a total revamp in party leadership. The rebel leaders pointed out that despite the party being allotted three seats - Vadakara, Kalpetta and Koothuparamba — it could win only the third one. Later, while minor parties with just one seat secured ministership, LJD was ignored. The rebel leaders felt that it was Shreyams Kumar himself who was not keen on the party’s lone MLA K P Mohanan bagging a ministerial berth.
“If LJD had previously got seven seats to contest while part of UDF, this time it was reduced to only three in LDF. Though the seats had winning possibility, we lost in two seats, primarily because of lapses on the part of the party leadership. Ideally those responsible for the failure should keep away or action should be taken against them,” V Surendran Pillai told TNIE.
Meanwhile LJD parliamentary board chairman Charupara Ravi has lashed out against the move. M V Shreyams Kumar had offered to step down soon after the assembly polls. But the party leaders themselves were unanimous in their view that there’s no need for a leadership change. “If there are lapses within the party over not getting enough seats to contest or a ministerial berth, the leadership has a collective responsibility,” he said.
Varghese George told TNIE that the demand was to go in for a total restructuring of the party. Most parties have gone for restructuring. “Post the assembly elections, there was a need for totally reconstituting the party structure including the leadership. We have raised this before the national leadership. Now, it’s for them to take a call,” he said.
‘NO DEMAND ON LEADERSHIP CHANGE’
LJD state president M V Shreyams Kumar met Sharad Yadav later in the evening. “Opinions that have come up in the party need not be viewed as rebel movement. There were no demands for a leadership change. No such discussions were held. If there are any issues in the party, it will be resolved through discussions,” he said.