The Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituents, particularly the CPI, seem to have woken up to a grim reality that the Malappuram Lok Sabha byelection of April 12 will be an evaluation of the front’s performance and cohesiveness in the State.
The criticism levelled by the BJP that United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate P.K. Kunhalikutty is also the “kutty”of the LDF has led to much discomfiture within the ruling front. Severe intra-frontal criticisms were raised during an LDF meeting here the other day about “not taking the byelection seriously”.
When the CPI(M) took certain measures such as giving overall election charge to E.P. Jayarajan in place of Elamaram Karim, the CPI has brought in its entire State leadership to Malappuram. Most CPI leaders, including State secretary Kanam Rajendran, will be camping in the constituency until April 12.
On record, all party leaders said LDF candidate M.B. Faizal was putting up a good fight and that Mr. Kunhalikutty was resorting to communal appeasement as he faced defeat in Malappuram. But off the record, some CPI leaders admitted that “now the onus is on us to put up a brave front in the wake of such debilitating criticism.”
Deviating from the CPI(M)’s policy of not taking on the IUML and Mr. Kunhalikutty sharply, the CPI has made it a point to paint the IUML as communal. Mr. Faizal’s description of the IUML as a party of a religious group here the other day did not go down well with the CPI. “The IUML is a communal party,” chorused the CPI.
CPI national executive member Binoy Viswam said on Tuesday that the IUML, fearing defeat in Malappuram, had sought the company of communal elements. BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan is too playing double standards by saying that beef would not be an issue during this election, Mr. Viswam said at Pandikkad.
CPI leaders like Pannian Ravindran, K.P. Rajendran, V.S. Sunil Kumar, E. Chandrasekharan, Thilothamman, K. Raju, K.E. Ismail, Annie Raja, K. Prakash Babu, Satyan Mokeri will be in Malappuram for the next week.
All MLAs of the CPI too will be camping in Malappuram. The CPI(M) too changed its tact by bringing in more State leaders to Malappuram.
Minister for Local Bodies K.T. Jaleel has been campaigning overtime in the constituency. Seniormost leader V.S. Achuthanandan will address an election rally at Angadipuram on April 8. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will join the campaign on April 6 and 7.
But the stand the CPI(M) leadership and Mr. Faisal adopted towards Mr. Kunhalikutty’s nomination issue still raises a big poser within the LDF.
When the BJP and other independent candidates raised a hue and cry over Mr. Kunhalikutty’s failure to fill certain columns in his nomination, Mr. Faisal and CPI(M) district secretary P.P. Vasudevan were notably silent.
