Thiruvananthapuram: NCP state president T P Peethambaran reiterated the party’s claim for all the four seats it had contested in 2016 during a discussion with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The CM is learnt to have told Peethambaran that an assurance on the seats could be given only after discussing the proposal with other partners and senior leaders.
Peethambaran met Vijayan as a follow up to the mediation initiated by the latter to ensure that NCP would stay with the LDF in the forthcoming assembly polls. On Monday, Vijayan met warring leaders of NCP A K Saseendran and Mani C Kappan separately. However, Kappan demanded assurance regarding Pala seat, which he had won in the byelection resulting from the death of K M Mani. Vijayan is also learnt to have discussed the issue with NCP national president Sharad Pawar over the phone.
“It is only natural that we claim our sitting seats. Will CPM sacrifice any sitting seat to accommodate a new party?” Peethambaran told reporters after the meeting. Though Saseendran accompanied Peethambaran to meet the CM, Kappan opted out of the meeting.
It is learnt that Pawar may reach Kerala this weekend to resolve the internal issues in the party. If the majority of the party supports the proposal by Peethambaran and Kappan to switch to the UDF, the national leadership may approve it.