Kerala NCP Turmoil: Ajit Pawar Faction Seeks Resignation of LDF Legislators Over Alleged Misconduct

Quick Summary

• The internal strife within the Nationalist congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra has impacted its Kerala unit, a Left Democratic Front (LDF) ally.
• The Ajit Pawar faction of NCP, aligned with the BJP-led NDA in Maharashtra, demanded the resignation of two LDF-aligned legislators in Kerala-A.K. Saseendran and Thomas K. Thomas-citing anti-party activities.
• praful Patel, national working president of NCP-Ajit Pawar faction, disqualified Saseendran and thomas from primary party membership for six years and put them on notice for allegedly acting as a parallel entity outside “authentic” NCP’s scope.
• Patel indicated legal proceedings would be initiated against them under the Anti-Defection Law and People’s Representation Act.
• Both disqualified legislators have maintained allegiance to Sharad Pawar’s faction after aligning with LDF following ajit Pawar’s collaboration with NDA in 2023.
• Saseendran pointed out that Supreme Court rulings on NCP factions are interim and awaits final judgment; both leaders filed affidavits reaffirming loyalty to Sharad Pawar.
• V.D. Satheesan, Leader of Opposition in Kerala, criticized the LDF for harboring BJP-aligned allies despite its stance against BJP/Sangh Parivar.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The developments represent an extension of Maharashtra-centric fissures spilling over into regional politics. By targeting its Kerala-based members aligned with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s faction appears intent on establishing dominance across state units nationally following electoral recognition by ECI as “original” NCP in 2023. Legal steps threatened under anti-defection statutes add weight but could face challenges depending on pending Supreme Court resolutions.

For Kerala’s political landscape, this intensifies scrutiny over alliances within the ruling LDF coalition that appear ideologically incongruent given interactions between certain partners’ affiliations with BJP-linked entities at a national level. this could provoke wider debates about coalition ethics moving forward while deepening existing divisions within contested political identities like those exhibited by splintered parties such as JD(S) or now-fractured NCP itself.

Read more: The Hindu 👇