Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 4 (IANS): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which was heading for a vertical split in Kerala over the issue of the Pala Assembly seat has almost reconciled to the fact that the party may not get the seat.

NCP leader and sitting MLA from Pala Mani C.Kappan while speaking to media persons at Thiruvananthapuram said, "I am an ardent follower of party national president Sharad Pawarji and if he asks me to shift the seat, I will do so."

The NCP has been at loggerheads within the LDF over the Pala seat with Mani C.Kappan adamant on the seat. Kappan had insisted that he had wrested the seat which was with the Kerala Congress (Mani) represented by its leader K.M. Mani for 50 years. Kappan had won the seat in the by-election held after the passing away of K.M. Mani.

Interestingly, the Kerala Congress (Mani) switched from the UDF before the local body elections. Ever since there have been rumours about the CPI(M) giving the seat back to the Kerala Congress (Mani) as the son of K.M. Mani and former MP, Jose K. Mani, who is the present Chairman of the party, insisted that the seat be represented by a Kerala Congress leader. It is learnt that Jose himself will contest from Pala in the 2021 Assembly elections.

The meeting at the residence of Sharad Pawar in Delhi was attended by the CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, and it is decided that the NCP national general secretary in-charge of Kerala and former Union Minister Praful Patel will meet Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Thiruvananthapuram and sort things out.

Highly placed sources in the NCP told IANS: "Sharad Pawarji is the ultimate leader of the NCP and if he asks Kappan to shift his seat, he will willingly do so. Kappan may either get a Rajya Sabha seat or will be given a sure seat in the Assembly elections."