Kerala JD(S) to form a new political party

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major political development, the Kerala unit of Janta Dal (Secular) has decided to sever its ties with the H D Deve Gowda’s parent party and form a new political entity. The decision to sever ties with the parent party and to form a new political outfit with a fresh name was taken at the state committee meeting held here on Tuesday. Earlier the CPM which heads the ruling LDF, had given an ultimatum to the JD(S) to decide on the issue at the earliest after H D Kumaraswamy became a minister in Narendra Modi 3.0 Cabinet. The Kerala unit's continuation in LDF had become untenable following Kumaraswamy’s induction into the union cabinet.

Janata Dal (S) state president Mathew T Thomas told media persons after the meeting that the process to register a new party with a fresh name has been set in motion. However, the final decision regarding the new



party, its name and structure would be taken after examining all legal issues and seeking expert opinion. "We will remain with a non-BJP and non-Congress political entity like the Left Democratic Front (LDF),” Thomas said, making it clear that there was no question of having any link with Deve Gowda’s party.

At present JD(S) has two MLAs in Kerala; Mr Mathew T Thomas and K Krishnankutty who is the power minister in Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet. For the past ten months, since the JD(S) decided to join the NDA, the Kerala unit of the party has been facing a serious dilemma regarding its future. The Kerala unit of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which was miffed over the LDF leadership’s refusal to allot one of the Rajya Sabha seats that fell vacant, had questioned the JD(S) continuing both in the LDF and NDA at the same time.