A day after Mani C. Kappan formally switched sides to the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday expelled him from the party.
“The honourable National President, Nationalist Congress Party, Shri Sharad Pawar, has expelled Mani C. Kappan, MLA, from the party with immediate effect for his anti-party activities,” read a statement issued by S.R. Kohli, permanent secretary, NCP.
‘Natural response’
Responding to the action, Mr. Kappan said he viewed it as a natural response from the party leadership. He, however, was determined to go ahead with the plans to float a new party ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Official sources said the faction that broke away under Mr. Kappan on Tuesday held consultations with the fence-sitters in the NCP State unit, seeking their interest in joining the new outfit.
At the same time, those who had already jumped the ship continued to put in their papers from the posts allotted by the present LDF government.
Meanwhile, a second-round meeting of the party is slated to be held in Thiruvananthapuram on February 22.
Committee
A 10-member committee led by Mr. Kappan and Babu Karthikeyan, former State treasurer of NCP, has already commenced working on the party constitution and its registration.
The sources said a couple of regional outfits in central Kerala too have approached the committee seeking the possibility of a merger. A decision on this, however, will be taken at a later stage.
Notwithstanding the assurances from the UUDF, including its chairman Ramesh Chennithala, the confusion over the modalities of its accommodation in the coalition is far from over.
The Congress, as tje lead partner of the coalition, is most likely to object the demand for any additional seat by the new party other than Pala.
