Kerala JD(S) in a tricky situation over Presidential election

Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s support for Bharatiya Janata Party’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu has put the Kerala party unit in a tricky situation.

As a partner in the CPM-led Left Democratic Front, Kerala JD(S) unit is expected to vote for Yashwant Sinha, the common Presidential candidate for all opposition parties. But it seems that the party’s national leadership was backing Murmu.

Senior party leader and former Karnataka chief minister Kumaraswamy already made statements supporting Murmu.

In Kerala, JD (S) has two MLAs: power minister K Krishnankutty and former minister Mathew T Thomas. State party leaders said that a final decision on the election would be taken in consultation with the national leadership.

However, state JD (S) leader Neelalohithadasan Nadar told DH that the party did not make any formal decision about supporting Murmu. Kumaraswamy was only replying to reporters’ queries.

Sources said that the state unit is likely to vote for the opposition's Presidential candidate, if only to protect the interests of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front. Otherwise, it would cause much embarrassment to the CPM as the Congress was already alleging a CPM-BJP nexus.