The abrupt crisis in the State unit of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) following the replacement of its president M.V. Shreyams Kumar appears to have blown over for the time being with the national leadership conceding to the collective demand of the State leadership to revoke the decision.
The sudden change of guard by installing all-India general secretary Varughese George as the new president caused a flutter here. On Wednesday, LJD national general secretary Sushila Morale officially informed that Mr. George had been appointed as the party State president with immediate effect by national president Fateh Singh and that Mr. Shreyams Kumar, at the helm of the party for the past two years, has been appointed as the national general secretary.
However, the State office-bearers, district presidents and State chiefs of feeder organisations urgently conducted a Google meeting on Thursday and reposed their faith in the leadership of Mr. Shreyams Kumar. They urged the national leadership to rescind its abritary decision.
A resolution to this effect was also adopted at the meeting. “The State unit rejected the decision of the national leadership to replace Mr. Shreyams Kumar,” State secretary general Sheikh P. Haris told The Hindu.
Mr. George, who was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting, however, sent a voice message saying that he was withdrawing from his new post and that he would inform the decision to the national leadership. Arun Srivastava, who represented the central leadership of the party, participated in the meeting.
“The resolution was emailed to the party national president. The unfortunate decision came when the party was engaged in seat-sharing talks with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the upcoming local body polls,” Mr. Haris said.
The new development also occurred when talks were going on over the merger of the LJD with the Janata Dal (S).
“A committee formed by the two parties had held three rounds of talks so far. However, the talks have reached a complete deadlock on the issue of the State president, office-bearers and sharing of seats for the Assembly polls next year,” Mr. Haris said.