Join NDA or legislators should resign: Kerala BJP tells JD(S)

Thiruvananthapuram : State BJP president K Surendran on Friday extended an “invitation” to the Kerala unit of the JD(S) to join the BJP-led NDA, after its national president and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda announced his decision to officially join the NDA as an ally.

The JD(S) has two legislators and a State Minister in the Cabinet of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “If by any chance the Kerala unit of the JD(S) fails to do it, then the two legislators should quit,” warned Surendran.

In Kerala, the JD(S) is a full-fledged ally of the ruling CPI(M)-led Left, and its nominee K Krishnankutty is the state Power Minister and its state President Mathew T Thomas is a legislator. Both have categorically slammed Gowda for his decision.

On Friday, the state unit of the JD(S) met on the issue. Later, Thomas said the party has already rejected Gowda’s statement. “We are the real JD(S) and our decision is very clear and we are part of the Left Democratic Front and will go forward like that only,” said Thomas after their leadership meeting.

The Kerala unit of the JD(S) is in a ‘Catch 22’ situation as they are under duress on the future of the two legislators if they decide to break away from the national unit.

The party fears that there could be legal issues, plus the Congress-led UDF will not spare any punches and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan has already pointed out that Vijayan is leading the B team of the BJP.