JSS facing split

Thiruvananthapuram: The Janadhipatya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) formed by former Minister K. R. Gouri is reportedly heading for a division.

The UDF and JSS have taken umbrage to JSS general secretary A. N. Rajan Babu acting as legal advisor of SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan who has formed his own party. Mr. Rajan Babu is defiant and maintains that he was doing nothing wrong by working for Mr. Natesan. Mr. Babu had aided Mr. Natesan in filing for bail in the petition filed by KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran against Mr. Natesan for promoting communal divide.

JSS president K. K. Shaju demanded that Mr. Babu should either end his role as legal advisor to Mr. Natesan or resign as general secretary. He said that he would not be attending meeting convned by Mr. Babu to discuss the issue.

Mr. Sudheeran, who is leading the Jana Raksha March of Congress, said that people aiding Mr. Natesan would have no role in the United Democratic Front.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan called on JSS founder K. R. Gouri on Tuesday.  Later, Ms. Gouri denied that the meeting had any political significance. Ms. Gouri, who had distanced herself from the UDF, had earlier made an aborted move to join the Left Democratic Front.

Update: The latest developments indicate that Mr. Babu may not wait to split the party but would rather move on to become the president of the new political party formed by Mr. Natesan.