Three months after the national leadership of the NCP (SP) cleared the name of its legislator Thomas K. Thomas to replace party colleague and State Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet, the lack of progress has triggered unrest within the party.
Saseendran, on Tuesday, reiterated that he is ready to step down as soon as the party directs him. However, Thomas feels he is being deliberately sidelined, as it has been three months since the leadership's decision, yet no action has been taken.
Thomas, accompanied by State party president P.C. Chacko, will leave for Mumbai on Wednesday to meet NCP (SP) national president Sharad Pawar to discuss the impasse. Notably, it was in September that Pawar, following a meeting with the three Kerala party leaders, had approved Thomas' elevation.
However, upon presenting the decision to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Thomas was asked to wait. Later, allegations surfaced that Thomas had offered money to two Left-backed legislators to defect to the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar. This created a political uproar, leaving Thomas upset over what he described as a baseless accusation. A party-level probe, however, cleared him of all charges.
Despite this, Saseendran appears to have secured Vijayan's support, creating further hurdles for Thomas. According to sources, Thomas and Chacko now plan to press Pawar to issue an ultimatum to Vijayan -- either swear in Thomas as minister or the NCP (SP) will forgo its cabinet representation, effectively compelling Saseendran to withdraw.
The NCP (SP) is part of Kerala's ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and holds two seats in the Assembly, represented by Saseendran and Thomas. Since November 2023, the party's Kerala unit has been in turmoil, as Thomas has insisted on the earlier agreed formula -- Saseendran would step down after two and a half years to make way for him.
This arrangement is in contrast to other LDF constituents with single legislators, who recently accommodated new parties by stepping aside. Yet Saseendran has not followed suit, further escalating tensions.
Thomas, the brother of the late former state minister Thomas Chandy, has been an important figure in the NCP's Kerala unit. Chandy, an NRI businessman-turned-politician, represented the Kuttanadu Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district until his passing in 2019. During Chandy's tenure, it was Thomas who managed the constituency on his behalf.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the NCP fielded Thomas for the Kuttanadu seat, which he won comfortably. However, when the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet was formed later that year, the party chose to retain Saseendran for another term, sidelining Thomas.
With the leadership's inaction now stretching into its fourth month, the issue has taken on wider political implications. The outcome of Thomas' meeting with Sharad Pawar is expected to determine the NCP (SP)'s next move in Kerala's power dynamics.
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