JD-S, LJD all set to unite again in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 (IANS) It’s all happening in Kerala politics. After an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was shown the door earlier this week, two parties now in the ruling Left front, which were together as a single unit in 2009, have decided to join hands again.

The erstwhile Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) had split in 2009 and one faction headed by the late media baron and Rajya Sabha member M.P. Veerendra Kumar snapped ties with the JD-S and became an ally of the Congress led-UDF, later came to be known as Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).

But, Kumar until 2017 was with the UDF and then decided to return to the Left front, while the other faction was always with the Left.

Kumar, who passed away last month, had in principle agreed to merge his faction with the original outfit as it would lend credence not just to his party, but the Left Democratic Front as a whole as the local body elections are scheduled for October.

“Things are all set for the two parties to become one with senior JD-S legislator C.K. Nanu to be the chairman, while Kumar’s son and two time former legislator M.V. Shreyamskumar will be the working chairman,” said a top party leader.

While LJD has no legislators, the JD-S has three and one of them is a state cabinet minister.

And following the two erstwhile units becoming a single unit, Shreyamskumar in all likelihood will get the Rajya Sabha seat, which his father held.