NCP Kerala MLAs defy resignation order, assert allegiance to Sharad Pawar
Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh rift has surfaced within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), as the party’s national working president Praful Patel issued directives asking its two MLAs in Kerala to step down, citing alleged anti-party activities. However, the state unit has openly defied the move, asserting its allegiance to Sharad Pawar.
The two legislators—State Forests Minister A K Saseendran and NCP state president Thomas K Thomas—are aligned with the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction and are part of Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
In a letter addressed to Thomas, dated July 4 but made public on Tuesday, Patel accused the MLAs of working against the interests of the NCP despite having won the 2021 Assembly polls under the party’s ‘clock’ symbol.
The letter, which also announced Thomas’s suspension from the party for six years, directed him to resign within a week or face action under the People's Representation Act and the Anti-Defection Law. Party sources confirmed that a similar notice was served to Minister A K Saseendran.
Responding to the letter, Thomas dismissed the directive, stating, “We will ignore the letter as we are not associated with Praful Patel's party.” He also said any issue related to defection laws would have to be handled by the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly.
Echoing the same stance, Forests Minister Saseendran said the letter would hold no weight with the state unit, “which has always been working as per the party's constitution”.
The development comes at a time when the ruling LDF is already grappling with internal tensions, particularly with the JD(S), another constituent in the alliance.
The JD(S), led nationally by H D Deve Gowda, is currently aligned with the NDA at the Centre. The party has two MLAs in the Kerala Assembly, including Electricity Minister K Krishnan Kutty. The Congress-led Opposition has questioned JD(S)’s continued presence in the LDF, given its alliance with the BJP at the national level.