The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) has raised the banner of revolt in the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) following denial of seat in the Lok Sabha elections.
The RSP leaders boycotted the LDF State committee meeting on Friday after they were told by CPI(M) leaders that their demand for the Kollam seat could not be considered favourably. After their bilateral meeting with CPI(M) leaders, RSP State secretary A.A. Azeez and former Minister N.K. Premachandran told reporters that they saw no point in attending the LDF committee meeting after the two Communist parties had decided to share the seats between them. However, the LDF panel, which met in the afternoon, decided to keep the dialogue with the RSP leadership going and to hold another meeting of the LDF committee on Monday to finalise seat sharing.
The RSP has been hoping to get the Kollam seat being held by the CPI(M). However, the CPI(M) has already decided to field party Polit Bureau member M.A. Baby in Kollam. Although there was talk of the RSP being offered Pathanamthitta, that possibility also got dashed with the CPI(M) deciding to field senior Congress leader and former DCC president Peelipose Thomas in the constituency. During Friday’s meeting with the RSP leaders, the CPI(M) leaders said that among the alliance partners, only CPI would get to contest the Lok Sabha polls. The CPI(M) leaders also requested Mr. Azeez and Mr. Premachandran that they should not press for the Kollam seat. “Our party State secretariat is meeting here on Saturday morning and the State committee in the evening. It is for these party forums to take a call on the issue,” they said.
