Kerala: Amid NCP-Left Front rift, Pawar to take final call

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 11 : A fluid political situation has emerged in the Kerala unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which is an alliance partner of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). However, top leaders said that the final decision would be taken by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and his Deputy Praful Patel in New Delhi on Friday.
Speaking to the media, after a meeting with Pawar, state NCP president T.P. Peethamabaran said there are differences of opinion between the NCP and LDF leaders.
“Ours is a democratic party and hence it is natural there will be differences of opinion. Patel is currently out of the country and will be reaching shortly for the decision tomorrow,” said Peethamabaran.
The Kerala’s NCP unit has been an alliance partner of the ruling LDF for years and has two legislators, including a state Minister.
Another NCP seat (Kuttanad), which was represented by Thomas Chandy, has been lying vacant since 2019 after he passed away.
The NCP in Kerala got a major boost when Mani C. Kappen won the Pala Assembly seat in a by-election in 2019, following the death of veteran K.M.Mani who was the incumbent legislator of Pala constituency since its inception in 1967.