KOCHI : “Politics is the art of the possible.” The quote attributed to Otto von Bismarck is as true in Germany as it is in Kerala.
The UDF and the LDF are slugging it out in the state while being on the same page in opposing the BJP in other states. In the same vein, the NCP, which is backing the LDF, and the Janata Dal (S), already a constituent of the Left front, are allied with the BJP in other states.
Despite the contradiction, the state units of the two parties have not distanced themselves entirely from their national leadership’s stance. At a time when the CPM is leading a campaign questioning the credibility of the Congress, highlighting defections of its leaders to the BJP, it remains silent on its allies’ ties with the NDA.
Following its split last year, the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar has been recognised by the Election Commission as the official party. Despite differences over specific issues, the state unit of the faction is backing the LDF. Intriguingly, the party’s state unit has initiated legal action against leaders who have claimed it is aligned to the NDA. “The NCP Kerala unit has not made any decision to align with the NDA, nor have any discussions taken place in this regard,” N A Muhammed Kutty, the party state president, said.
“The state units can take independent decisions considering the political situation in the respective states. The party was an ally of the LDF while being a member of the Congress coalition in Maharashtra and the BJP alliance in Meghalaya. The Congress and CPM have joined hands in other states. Although we may differ with the LDF on certain issues, discussions regarding our entry into the coalition are ongoing,” he said.
Muhammed Kutty added that a decision on this matter would be made at a meeting scheduled to be held in Kochi on March 24.
Meanwhile, the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar, headed by former MP P C Chacko, is an ally of the LDF.
The scenario within the JD(S) state unit, led by former minister Mathew T Thomas, is different. Despite rejecting the decision of party supremo H D Deve Gowda and his son, former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy, to align with the saffron party, state leaders remain in positions accorded by its national leadership.
Threats of disqualification have reportedly deterred the state unit and its two MLAs — Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty and Mathew T Thomas — from proceeding with plans for forming a new outfit. However, former minister C K Nanu resigned as the party’s national vice president and sided with C M Ibrahim against the JD(S) decision to join the NDA. “The party is part of the LDF in the state,” said Mathew. “We are not functioning on the directives of the national leadership. In Kerala, we are with the LDF,” he added.