Leaders of smaller coalition partners of the United Democratic Front (UDF) that witnessed splits in one manner or other are now struggling to remain politically relevant.
With K.R. Gouri deciding to rejoin the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], JSS leader Rajan Babu, former MLA K.K. Shaju, and their supporters are now trying to retain their slot in the UDF. The Communist Marxist Party (CMP) had also split even before its redoubtable leader M.V. Raghavan’s demise.
The K.R. Aravindakshan faction is functioning in close association with the CPI(M), hoping that it would be able to prevent being subsumed by it and get a slot in the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
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The faction leaders admit that they were under heavy pressure from the CPI(M) leadership for a merger. The other faction, led by C.P. John, has pitched itself firmly in the UDF, with Mr. John’s profile as Planning Board member helping it get a better leverage with the ruling coalition.
The Kerala Congress (B) has also suffered erosion, with a motley crowd led by former party general secretary V.S. Manoj Kumar deciding to join the Kerala Congress (Jacob).
These leaders had fallen out with Mr. Pillai over two issues, promoting his son K.B. Ganesh Kumar and the party decision to work with the LDF for a slot.
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This is the first time that the Kerala Congress (Jacob) is becoming recipient of shifts from other parties. The Kerala Congress (M) has witnessed merger of the Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Kerala Congress (Secular) of P.C. George several years ago. Now, Mr. George is on the verge of being irrelevant unless he finds a slot in coalition politics.
The Kerala Congress (M) leadership has already started the proceedings to get him disqualified as a legislator. Mr. George is yet to indentify a friend in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to help him remain current.
While these splits were taking place, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) became a larger entity through a merger. A win in the Lok Sabha election further strengthened the party. In view of the overtures from the LDF leadership in one form or other, the RSP, despite pitching its bandwagon in the UDF, has a cadre that has an affinity with the CPI(M).
The party leadership is now clamouring for the Deputy Speaker’s post mainly because it wants to convince its doubting workers that the decision to join the UDF was correct.
The JSS faction led by Rajan Babu is trying to retain its slot in the UDF.