Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 27 (IANS): Faction-ridden Kerala unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has started to breathe easy as the party's move to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra is falling apart.

Ever since the assembly election results came out in Maharashtra, with no party getting a clear majority, confusion prevailed in the NCP's Kerala unit but the situation improved with the Shiv Sena going public that it will support the BJP in forming the government in Maharashtra.

The Kerala unit of the NCP, an ally of the Left opposition, is made up of the erstwhile Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran, the party founded by former chief minister K. Karunakaran, and those who have been all along with the NCP.

For the past one week, hectic parleys were on in the NCP's Kerala unit, which has two legislators, with one section willing to abide by the national leadership and the other section strongly opposing joining hands with the BJP.

One faction led by NCP state unit president Uzhavoor Vijayan has made it clear that under no circumstances the national leadership should join hands with the BJP.

Two-time legislator Thomas Chandy, a cash-rich businessman who has huge business interests in Kuwait, who leads the other faction went public, saying he will abide by whatever decision the party's national leadership takes.