Cracks in Kerala’s Left fortress as tussle spills into open over Opposition post

Thiruvananthapuram: Even before the dust settles on the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) crushing electoral defeat in Kerala, fresh fault lines have begun surfacing within the alliance, with the simmering tensions between the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now threatening to snowball into a major political confrontation.

What began as an internal disagreement over the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition has rapidly transformed into a larger battle over relevance, dominance and political space within the Left camp after its dramatic fall from power.

Ironically, the flare up comes at a time when LDF Convener T.P. Ramakrishnan publicly mocked the Congress for delaying the decision on the Chief Minister’s name, even as trouble was already brewing within his own camp.

The immediate trigger came after CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam openly demanded that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition’s post be allotted to the CPI.

The public assertion reportedly angered the CPI(M), with T.P. Ramakrishnan sharply responding that such matters should be discussed within alliance meetings and not aired before the media.

But beneath the latest confrontation lies a much deeper political unease.

During the LDF’s decade long rule under Pinarayi Vijayan, the CPI had on at least two major occasions flexed its muscles strongly enough to force the Chief Minister to soften or recalibrate his stand.

Though the CPI largely functioned as the junior ally, it repeatedly signaled that it was unwilling to remain completely submissive before the CPI(M)’s dominance.

Now, after the alliance’s stunning defeat, the relationship appears to be entering an even more volatile phase.

In its internal post-election assessment, the CPI is learnt to have directly blamed Pinarayi Vijayan’s style of functioning and governance for the debacle, an unusually blunt attack from an alliance partner.

That resentment is now resurfacing through the battle over Opposition posts.

The CPI argues that the electoral setback demands course correction and greater accommodation within the alliance.

The CPI(M), however, remains reluctant to concede political space, especially on crucial positions in the Assembly.

With both parties digging in, political Kerala is now watching closely whether the Left’s internal contradictions long papered over during its years in power are finally exploding into the open.

The Left ended with a mere 35 seats down from 99 in the 140 member Assembly.

IANS