The Janata Dal (United) has formally severed its ties with the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and decided to enter the Left Democratic Front (LDF) as an independent entity that will later merge with the new party to be floated by JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav.
The formal decision to leave the UDF and seek entry into the LDF was taken by the JD(U) State council which met here on Friday with party State president M.P. Veerendrakumar in the chair. A resolution adopted by the council concluded that ‘given the peculiar situation obtaining in Kerala,’ the LDF is better equipped to fight communalism. While the UDF had gained from the presence of JD(U) in the alliance, the JD(U) had only suffered losses. Still, the party was grateful to the UDF leadership for having accommodated it in the alliance, Mr. Veerendrakumar said.
As an independent entity
Party leaders later told The Hindu that the JD(U) would stay as an independent entity as Janata Dal (United-Sharad Yadav) till Mr. Yadav floated a new party at the national level. The resolution adopted by the council meeting too made it clear that the State JD(U) would stay with Mr. Yadav stating that the decision to quit the UDF and join the LDF was being taken in pursuance of the decision of the JD(U) national council meetings held in New Delhi on October 12 and 13, 2016, and at Rajgir in Bihar on October 8 to wage a relentless battle against communalism and force a broad alliance of Left, democratic and secular forces in the country.
The party is apparently hoping to get the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Mr. Veerendrakumar so that it would not stand to lose anything in the process. It is also looking forward to getting a fair number of Assembly seats when elections are due next.
The JD(U) decision drew a sharp response from the Congress leadership with Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala saying that the JD(U) decision to cross over to the LDF would not have any impact on Kerala politics. The UDF, he said, would forge ahead in strength.
