New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, July 17
Ever since M.V. Shreyams Kumar, a Rajya Sabha member who heads the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) in Kerala, an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), decided to contest the April 6 Assembly polls, cracks started to appear in the partys Kerala unit, which surfaced in the open on Saturday with a section of the party leaders reaching Delhi to meet party top brass Sharad Yadav seeking a change in leadership.
The trouble started when Kumar, who co-owns Mathrubhumi, the second largest media group in Kerala, while being a Rajya Sabha member decided to contest from his home turf in the Assembly polls, much to the surprise of many.
The LJD was offered three seats and all of them were sitting seats of the Left. The seats were offered to the LJD because it had moved out of the Congress-led UDF to the Left.
While the ruling Left swept the polls, Kumar had to bite the dust, losing from the Left's seat in Kalpetta.
Things worsened further after Kumar was accused of scuttling the chances of his party colleague K.P. Mohanan from getting a ministerial berth. Mohanan was LJD's only winning candidate in the Assembly polls.
Following this, a section of LJD leaders in Kerala expressed their ire towards Kumar. After failing to get a positive response from Kumar, a section of the party led by Sheikh P. Harris, Mohanan and others called on party supremo Sharad Yadav.
"After the election debacle, we are still unable to take stock of what happened. We also failed to win a cabinet berth. We strongly feel that there is a need for a revamp," Harris said after meeting Yadav.
Meanwhile, Yadav said that he has heard one side of the story. Later on Saturday evening, Kumar is also expected to meet Yadav and discuss the issues facing the party's Kerala unit.
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