It's better people who rock the boat leave, says Congress' Kerala leader

With the Janata Dal-United's Kerala unit parting ways with the opposition UDF and returning to the ruling LDF's fold, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday said it was better that people who rocked the boat left.

"The JD-U state unit decision to leave the UDF will have no impact. It is similar to rocking the boat one is travelling in. Hence, it's better they leave and the UDF will go forward without any issues," said Chennithala, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, soon after JD-U state unit chief Veerendra Kumar announced his decision.

His remarks came a day after the Communist Party of India-Marxist, leading the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, welcomed JD-U's state unit in its fold after it parted ways with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

The decision to part ways was announced by JD-U leader M.P. Veerendra Kumar earlier in the day, maintaining that they will now commence talks with the Left.

The JD-U leader said that he will work in tandem with former Union Minister and former JD-U national President Sharad Yadav at the national level.

State Congress President M.M. Hassan said Veerendra Kumar had committed "political treachery" by leaving the UDF.

Kumar left the LDF in 2009 after he was denied an opportunity to contest from his Lok Sabha constituency of Kozhikode and joined the UDF. He lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Palakkad by a massive margin to CPI-M's M.B. Rajesh.

The UDF gave Kumar a Rajya Sabha seat last year, but the situation changed after Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U national President Nitish Kumar joined hands with Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. Kumar ended political ties with Nitish Kumar and quit the Rajya Sabha last month.

Asked if he will get back the Rajya Sabha seat he had resigned with Left support, the JD-U leader said it is not in the scheme of things and also ruled out merger with JD-Secular, an ally of the Left, with whom he parted ways in 2009.

--IANS

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