A political row has erupted in Kerala over a statement by Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)] supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on October 19 that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had greenlit his party's alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka to protect its interests.
Kerala JD(S) leader K. Krishnankutty on October 20 firmly refuted Mr. Gowda's statement.
Opposing the national leadership’s association with the BJP, Mr. Krishnankutty also emphasised his party’s Kerala unit’s commitment to maintaining its alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
"I met him (Deve Gowda) along with our State president, Mathew T. Thomas, MLA, and informed him about our objection in joining the BJP. The State party unit stands by the earlier decision to stand firm with the Left party in Kerala," said Mr. Krishnankutty, who is also a Minister in the LDF government in Kerala.
Congress’s charges
The Opposition Congress alleged that the JD(S) revelation had established an undercurrent between the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on October 20 said this is further evidenced by Mr. Krishnankutty's continued presence in the Kerala Cabinet.
The CPI(M) State leadership is yet to officially react on the issue.
Earlier, the Kerala JD(S) unit had rejected the central leadership's decision to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), opting to stand firmly with the LDF in the State.
This decision was made clear after a State committee meeting held in Kochi on October 7 where JD(S) Kerala president Mathew T. Thomas underscored that the high command's announcement lacked prior discussion within any party forum.
On October 19, Mr. Gowda had asserted that all State units of the JD(S), including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra, had provided their consent to align with the BJP.
"In Kerala, we are part of the government and our MLA is a Minister there. These units understood the situation that made us to go with the BJP and supported our move. Our Minister in the Left party's government (Mr. Krishnankutty) in Kerala has given consent to us," he said.
"Kerala’s Left government's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given full concurrence to move forward in Karnataka with the BJP to save the party. This is the position," Mr. Gowda claimed.
