JD(S) Kerala unit will stand independently: Minister Krishnankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the raging controversy over JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda's statement on his party's alliance with the BJP, Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Sunday said that the state unit has decided to stand independently.

Krishnankutty said he and state JD(S) president Mathew T Thomas met with the party leadership in Karnataka and informed them that an alliance with the BJP was not acceptable.

We told them that what they did was not right, he told a TV channel.

"We informed them that we are ending the relationship and that we would remain independent and then we came back. We had a committee meeting here and decided to stand independently. Everyone was in agreement with that and that is the factual position," he said.

The Congress-led UDF alliance has been accusing the ruling CPI(M) in the state of not severing ties with the JD(S), which has joined hands with the BJP at the national level.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, on Friday, rejected the claim that he had endorsed LDF's partner JD(S) having an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka and said it was "both baseless and devoid of truth".

Deve Gowda had on the next day said that there was 'some confusion' in Kerala's CPI(M) with regard to his party's alliance with the BJP in Karnataka, and clarified he never said that the ruling Left party in the neighbouring state supported the tie-up.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan had on Saturday said there was no need to remove Krishnankutty from the Kerala cabinet as the state unit of the JD(S) had clarified that they 'stand strong' on the Left front.