Former Kerala Congress MLA Johnny Nelloor has announced the formation of a new political outfit, the National Progressive Party (NPP). The party will be chaired by former National Minorities Commission member V V Augustine, while Nelloor will function as the working chairman. The NPP will register with the Election Commission soon.
At a press conference announcing the new party, Augustine stated that the NPP is an independent party and does not have any particular affinity towards any political party, including the Congress, CPI(M), or BJP. However, he mentioned that the party will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise demands for protecting farmers’ interests.
Nelloor, who resigned from the Kerala Congress and Congress-led opposition UDF on April 19, said that more people would join the NPP in the coming days. He claimed that the new party would work for the interests of farmers at a national level.
Many view the formation of the NPP by Nelloor as a move to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and help the party gain a foothold in the southern state, where it currently has no MLAs or MPs.