Eager to bring the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) back into the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday urged the CPI(Marxist) to show "resourcefulness in accommodation" as the rift within the coalition would be difficult to explain both within the State and at the national level.
In a letter to CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, his CPI counterpart S. Sudhakar Reddy described the decision of the RSP to walk out of the LDF and contest the Kollam constituency in Kerala with the support of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) as a matter of serious concern. "We hope that resourcefulness in accommodation is shown to keep the LDF intact and break does not take place. We also wish that all efforts should be made to bring back RSP into LDF.''
However, Mr. Karat told The Hindu from Chennai that the Kerala unit of the RSP had not left much scope for reconciliation. "I have not seen Comrade Sudhakar Reddy's letter since I am travelling but I have been told about it. My information regarding the RSP's decision is that the Kerala unit had made up its mind earlier itself to leave the LDF and was in talks with the UDF."
Mr. Reddy also spoke to RSP general secretary T. J. Chandrachoodan over telephone during the day in a bid to keep the LDF intact. On Saturday, the RSP – a founding member of the 35-year-old LDF – decided to leave the Front after the CPI(M) refused to give it the Kollam seat promised in writing six months ago.
As to whether the RSP's decision to leave the LDF in Kerala would extend to a break with the Left at the national level, party secretary Abani Roy told The Hindu that as of now this rift was confined to the State and "we are watching the situation unfold".
Leaders of the CPI(M) maintained that the RSP in Kerala had decided to merge with the Baby John group which had broken away earlier and joined the UDF Cabinet. "They had already made up their minds much earlier and did not leave scope for any discussion," is the CPI(M) refrain.
