THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: RSP(L) led by Kovoor Kunjumon on Tuesday decided not to merge with NCP. The decision was taken at the state committee meeting of the party held here. “We decided not to go for merger with NCP or seek entry in Cabinet in their quota,” Kunjumon told DC. He said the party, however, decided to make a formal request to the LDF state committee to grant Cabinet berth to it.
The MLA from Kunnathur said since the inception of LDF there has been rarely an occasion when RSP did not have representation in cabinet. RSP(L) leadership says the party deserved a cabinet berth because it had stood firmly with the LDF despite split. The formal request would be sent through a letter to the LDF convenor. Subsequently, a party delegation will also meet LDF leadership.
Serious differences had surfaced in RSP(L) and NCP over the move to make Kunjumon minister in the vacancy arising out of the resignations of A. K. Saseendran and Thomas Chandy. While a section close to Chandy had favoured the formula in the wake of pressure mounting from CPM to fill the vacant Cabinet slot, the proposal to have an outsider was opposed by Saseendran.
NCP state president N. Peethambaran Master had also come under attack from a section of leaders for holding unilateral discussions with Kerala Congress (B) of R. Balakrishna Pillai. The NCP leader and Pillai had explored the possibility of inducting Ganesh Kumar in the cabinet. With the RSP(L) and NCP officially deciding against merger, the chapter has come to close at least for now.
