Janata Dal (U) rift over poll debacle

KOZHIKODE: The election debacle has created a rift among the JD(U) leaders and workers. The dissenters have formed a separate platform and and are working closely with the LDF. They accused the party’s state president M.P Veerendra Kumar of lacking a stable stand on leaving the UDF and trading the party’s fortunes for his Rajya Sabha seat. Senior leaders in the party are also of the same opinion, but are planning to wait till the right time.

JD(U) general secretary advocate Thomas Babu, who resigned from the party on Thursday, alleged that the party lacks political stability due to poor decisions. “Many party workers are leaving and joining either the BJP or CPM. We need to retain them and that’s why we have formed an independent platform. More people will join this platform in coming days and we are planning to work in association with the LDF,” he said.

“We were mentally prepared to go back to the LDF before elections, but the party president decided otherwise. In the elections, we suffered a lot without any co-operation from the Congress. If we were with CPM, the election campaigns will be held as per schedule since they have a strong party system to operate campaigns. Wherever we contested, we literally begged the Congress men to be with us to organise campaigns and even for a man to sit in a booth, we paid for them. We spent close to Rs 1 crore for each candidate,” lamented a state youth leader of the party who requested anonymity.

“We had many favourable times like the debacle at Palakkad Lok Sabha election and during the bar scam. But he (Veerendra Kumar) didn’t take a stand and ultimately the party paid the price,” opined another senior leader. The leaders are hinting that they are waiting for some national policy change or issue to go back to the Left fold.