NCP Kerala Unit in Fix Over Cabinet Berth for Thomas K Thomas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Equations in the Kerala unit of the Nationalist Congress Party took a new turn, with incumbent minister from the party, state Forest Minister AK Saseendran appearing to have lost support of the NCP top brass.

NCP is an ally of the CPI(M)-led LDF and has two legislators Saseendran and Thomas K Thomas.

Thomas is the brother of late former state minister Thomas Chandy who passed away in 2019.

Chandy was an NRI businessman-turned-legislator and because he was busy with his business interests in Kuwait, it was Thomas who was always looking after the Kuttanadu Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district.

Due to this reason, the NCP did not have to look elsewhere for the 2021 Assembly polls and on expected lines Thomas won the seat.

However, when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan constituted the Cabinet in 2021, the NCP decided to stick with outgoing Minister Saseendran for another turn.

Thomas played the waiting game and two ministers were sworn in last year in December as part of the agreement reached in 2021 to share Cabinet posts among the parties having single MLAs.

After the swearing in of two new ministers in December, Thomas wrote to the Left convenor that a similar agreement was there in the NCP, too, that after two-and-half-years, Saseendran would make way for him to become minister.

However, at that time the senior NCP leaders especially state party President, PC Chacko was not keen to replace Saseendran with Thomas and hence the latter did not get a chance to become a minister.

Equations appear to have changed now with Chacko supporting Thomas.

However, Saseendran has made it clear that he is not going to make way for Thomas.

“I do not know of any arrangement of a change and the media’s speculation that I am going to step down is nothing but an imaginary one,” said a peeved Saseendran.

Reacting to the speculation that if moved out Saseendran will quit as legislator, he said, “I do not know how and from where all this news is coming.”

Meanwhile Thomas appears confident that with the NCP’s national leadership including National President Sharad Pawar supporting him along with Chacko, he is certain to get the prized post of a state minister.

He is also confident that he will be able to stake claim for a second outing from the Kuttanadu Assembly seat.

So the coming days are crucial and sources close to Thomas are expecting that Saseendran will have to make way for Thomas.