Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s decision to attend the swearing in ceremony of Nitish Kumar is not merely a ceremonial attendance but is seen as a timely gesture amid reports that LDF is trying to get JD (U) back into its fold ahead of Assembly polls.
Congress sources said that Chandy’s presence in Patna on November 20 would surely send out a clear message to JDU that the UDF valued their partnership. The chief minister, who normally skips such functions outside the state, is going to Bihar at a time when there is widespread anger and disenchantment among JDU workers in the state because of Congress ‘backstabbing’ in the local bodies poll.
JDU general secretary Varghese George admitted that the relations with Congress were strained especially after the local bodies poll. “Our candidates were defeated in many local bodies because of the presence of Congress dissidents in the fray. These rebels also had the blessings of the local leadership,” he added.
However, JDU leaders tried to play down Chandy’s decision to attend Nitish Kumar’s swearing in ceremony. “Nitish Kumar had invited all non BJP chief ministers to swearing in ceremony,” said Dr Varghese George.
Many of the JDU leaders still remember the good old days in the LDF. As part of the LDF, the JD(S) had more than 400 elected representatives in the local bodies. But today the strength has gone down below 100.
Even in party stronghold Kozhikode district, the JDU has received a huge setback. As part of LDF, they had 170 seats which has now come down to 61. So will the Congress betrayal and disenchantment among the rank and file lead to political realignment ahead of Assembly polls ? “Bihar victory has set in motion the process of coming together of Janata Parivar at the national level. It will have its impact on Kerala politics as well. That’s all I can say for the moment,” said Varghese George.
Observers say independent electoral strength is the most important part in a coalition setup. If JDU feels its existence is under threat, then it will be forced to take a drastic step for political survival, they said.
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