Horse-trading charges: LDF denies claims, says will investigate issue

PTI Thiruvananthapuram: A controversy has erupted in Kerala over media reports claiming that a NCP MLA, currently aligned with Sharad Pawar, offered Rs 50 crore each to two other legislators to join the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, an ally of the BJP. The ruling LDF in Kerala denied the reports on Friday and stated that the matter will be investigated. State Ministers K Krishnankutty (JD-S), A K Saseendran (NCP), and K B Ganesh Kumar (Kerala Congress B) denied knowledge of any such developments and asserted that such actions would not occur within the Left Front. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said that if there is any truth bhind the allegations, then those engaged in such activities have no right to be part of the LDF, and he demanded a proper investigation into the matter.

The Left leaders’ reaction came after media reports indicated that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refused to allow NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Thomas K Thomas to join the Cabinet due to a complaint that he attempted to bribe two LDF MLAs with Rs 50 crore each to switch parties. The two Left MLAs were reportedly invited to join the NCP (Ajit Pawar), which is an ally of the BJP. “It is not LDF politics. No MLA of the LDF should be ready to be bought for money. The politics of horse trading is there in many parts of the country and it is insulting that the same has reached our state. It is against the democratic values and needs to be investigated properly,” Visaw said, reacting sharply to the media reports.

LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan too denied knowledge of any such incident and said that if it did happen, it was wrong. “There will be no leniency towards such acts. But, it has not been proved that something ike that happened. We can say that only after examining the facts. ” he said.