Crisis deepens in NCP-SP's Kerala unit over change of minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 19 (IANS) The trouble in the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar's (NCP-SP) Kerala unit on replacing its state Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran with fellow party colleague Thomas K. Thomas deepened on Thursday with the former slamming state party chief P.C. Chacko.  

"The President is creating a needless controversy over the change in cabinet post. Three times, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already briefed him about it," Saseendran said.

On the other hand, Chacko, upset by the turn of events, said that when the party cannot decide who is to be its nominee in the cabinet, indicated that then there is no point in continuing as the state President.

Chacko is a former Congress MP who quit the party a few years back to join his mentor Sharad Pawar, and when he joined the party here, he was made the state chief.

In Kerala, the NCP-SP is part of the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front and has two legislators - Saseendran and Thomas.

Since November 2023, the party's Kerala unit has been in turmoil, as Thomas has insisted on the earlier agreed formula -- Saseendran would step down after two and a half years to make way for him. 

This arrangement is in contrast to other LDF constituents with single legislators, who accommodate new parties' nominees by stepping aside. Yet Saseendran has not followed suit, further escalating tensions. As part of the deal, three months back, the trio of Chacko, Saseendran, and Thomas called on Pawar three months back and Thomas was asked to take over. 

On Wednesday, Thomas, after meeting Pawar, returned and continues to wait. 

The grapevine is Vijayan is deeply upset after Thomas and Chacko prevailed upon Pawar to speak to the CPI-M's acting General Secretary Prakash Karat to ensure that Thomas be made the Minister. 

And now with Saseendran openly attacking his state chief, it remains to be seen if Thomas will get the coveted post of State Minister. 

Vijayan is also miffed with Thomas after an allegation surfaced that he had offered money to two Left-backed legislators to defect to the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar. But Chacko was quick to act on it and a party-level probe was ordered which cleared Thomas of all charges. 

Thomas, the brother of the late former state minister Thomas Chandy, has been an important figure in the NCP's Kerala unit. Chandy, an NRI businessman-turned-politician, represented the Kuttanadu Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district until his passing in 2019. During Chandy's tenure, it was Thomas who managed the constituency on his behalf. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NCP fielded Thomas for the Kuttanadu seat, which he won comfortably. However, when the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet was formed later that year, the party chose to retain Saseendran for another term, sidelining Thomas. 

Now with Vijayan apparently not keen on Thomas, the next move of Chacko and Thomas is keenly watched.