Saseendran temporarily survives internal party challenge

Minister A.K. Saseendran remains NCP-SP's representative in LDF Cabinet amid factional disputes and potential reshuffle.

For the time being, Minister for Forests and Wildlife Protection A.K. Saseendran will continue as the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP)‘s representative in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Cabinet.

The status quo was decided at a meeting of the rival factions in the Kerala unit of the party, led by Mr. Saseendran and State president P.C. Chacko, in Mumbai with national president Sharad Pawar on Friday. The meeting was held to deliberate on party legislator Thomas K. Thomas’ claims for a Cabinet berth. Mr. Thomas was also present at the meeting.

While party sources initially indicated that Mr. Saseendran’s Ministerial position was secure, Mr. Pawar is expected to make a final call at a later stage. Mr. Thomas, representing the Kuttanad Assembly segment in Alappuzha, has been seeking Mr. Saseendran’s removal from the Cabinet, a stance endorsed by the State committee and the majority of the district units.

A fundamental reason attributed to his replacement was that the two MLAs should share the Cabinet berth allocated to the party for two-and-a-half years each.

Defying the majority decision of the party, Mr. Saseendran had said that he would resign his membership from the Assembly if he were to quit from the Cabinet. Later, he also upped the ante demanding the post of State president, as Mr. Chacko was holding the post of one of the national working presidents.

Sources said the Left Democratic Front was not in favour of an abrupt Cabinet reshuffle given the political atmosphere in the State. Moreover, the dispute within the NCP-SP did not guarantee that the party would be offered a Ministerial berth for the remaining year-and-a-half term of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Rumours were also rife that Mr. Vijayan was steadfast in Mr. Saseendran’s continuance in the Cabinet.

Mr. Saseendran, who won from Kozhikode’s Elathur segment three times in a row, was a Minister in the previous LDF government, while Mr. Chacko joined the NCP-SP in 2021, walking out of the Congress and later becoming the State president.