The open revolt triggered by a leadership change in the Kerala unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP(SP)] has resulted in a split in the party.

A meeting of a faction led by veteran leader and former Minister A.K. Saseendran and former NCP (SP) State president Thomas K. Thomas, held in Kochi on Friday, decided to “sever ties with the central leadership” and form a new outfit.

Mr. Thomas said the new party would, for the time being, be known as the Nationalist Congress Party (Secular) [NCP (S)]. Mr. Thomas said they were forced to take the decision because of the NCP (SP) national leadership’s “increasing proximity” to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), particularly during the recent Baramati Assembly byoll in Maharashtra; national working president P.C. Chacko’s “interference” in the party’s affairs in Kerala; and national president Sharad Pawar’s “reluctance” to condemn the Enforcement Directorate raid at former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence.

The leaders said the new formation would remain part of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The meeting, attended by majority of district presidents and other leaders, elected Mr. Thomas as president, while a nine-member core committee was constituted to take further decisions. The first general body meeting and official declaration of the new party will be held on June 20.

On May 27 (Wednesday), the NCP (SP) central leadership replaced Mr. Thomas with P.M. Suresh Babu as the party’s State president with immediate effect. The party also “promoted” Mr. Thomas as its national secretary.

NCP(SP) to remain in LDF

Responding to the development, Mr. Babu blamed the split on the “selfish interests” of Mr. Saseendran and Mr. Thomas. “They are disassociating themselves from national politics and a national party and shrinking into a State-level outfit. I don’t think the LDF will take them in. Even if it does, this new party will become a liability for the LDF. NCP (SP) will continue to remain part of the LDF in Kerala and part of the INDIA bloc at the national level,” the State president said.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) State general secretary K.R. Rajan said a leadership meeting of the party would be convened in Kochi soon and that an overwhelming majority of the party workers and office bearers were with the official faction led by Mr. Chacko and Mr. Babu.

NCP (SP) sources said the decision to remove Mr. Thomas as party’s State president had been taken ahead of the Assembly polls at a closed-door meeting attended by him, Mr. Saseendran, Mr. Chacko and other senior national leaders. However, the move was “deferred” as the leadership felt it would send the wrong message at a crucial time.

In the Assembly elections, the NCP (SP), which contested three seats, including the sitting seats of Elathur and Kuttanad, where incumbents Mr. Saseendran and Mr. Thomas were the candidates respectively, drew a blank.