The Left Democratic Front (LDF) leadership meeting on Monday appeared to have shelved several contentious internal issues bedevilling the alliance. Instead, the Opposition alliance has apparently pivoted to making the upcoming local body byelection in 38 wards a verdict on the “stark shortcomings” of the three-month-old Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government. 

The LDF had convened after a three-month hiatus amid barely muted criticism within the alliance of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]’s “top-down” approach to minor constituents. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has publicly expressed exasperation at the CPI(M) for giving short shrift to the key ally’s demand for the post of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. 

LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan told a press conference on Monday that the CPI’s demand was not on the meeting’s agenda. He denied that the CPI’s ire and strife between the State and national formations of the Janata Dal (Secular) and factional feuds within the Indian National League (INL) had prompted the CPI(M) to defer the meeting almost inordinately. 

Mr. Ramakrishnan said an amicable solution to what has emerged as one of the LDF’s most difficult internal conundrums was at hand. Janata Dal (Secular) national leader H.D. Deve Gowda’s decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had caused a split in the LDF partner in Kerala, with leaders like A.K. Saseendran and Mathew T. Thomas rejecting the national leadership’s veer to the right. The INL also split, with the factions led by A.P. Abdul Wahab and Kasim Irikoor expelling each other but remaining in the LDF. 

Mr. Ramakrishnan said Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s “affinity” with the BJP’s pro-Hindutva National Education Policy (NEP)-linked PM SHRI school education scheme had caused fissures in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).  

He said the LDF would spotlight the UDF’s “poor flood response, lackadaisical marine rescue effort, dismantling of LIFE Mission housing scheme, slashing of LSGI funds, and the stillborn Oommen Chandy insurance scheme for families” to turn public opinion against the government in the run-up to the local body byelections.