THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF leadership has confirmed that they will not be seeking a replacement for Johnny Nellore, who had been serving as the front’s secretary since 2016. Nellore, who was previously associated with the Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (KC) recently left the front and established a new political party, the National Progressive Party.
During the 2016 Assembly elections, Nellore, who was then a member of the Kerala Congress, was denied a ticket. In an attempt to appease him, the then Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy created a new position for him as UDF secretary. UDF convener M M Hassan has confirmed that there were only two positions, UDF convenor, and UDF chairman, before Nellore’s appointment.” Later, KC (Jacob) MLA Anoop Jacob demanded that the UDF secretary post should be given to them. But Oommen Chandy and Chennithala maintained that the post was given to Nellore and not KC (Jacob). Now that he has left the UDF, there is no plan for the front to extend the post to anyone”, said Hassan.
Meanwhile, Nellore has taken a dig at Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, stating that he had been an active participant in various meetings during Chennithala’s tenure as Opposition Leader and the tenures of P P Thankachan and Benny Behanan as UDF conveners.
“Chennithala ensured that I chair the feeder organisations meeting. I actively participated in meeting at 140 Assembly constituencies during Chennithala’s Kerala Mochana Yatra.
Thankachan and Benny Behanan made sure that I accompanied them at the UDF media briefings. But over the last 18 months, I was completely sidelined at the UDF meetings which led me to ask Satheesan what’s the role of the UDF secretary. When he laughed it off, I gave a letter in writing only to be sidelined again,” he said.