Cracks widen in Left as Kerala CPI–CPI(M) tensions spill into open in Palakkad

Palakkad, Jan 6 (IANS) Even as the CPI remains the second-largest ally in the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, relations between the two Communist parties have been visibly strained for some time now.

What had largely remained simmering discontent has increasingly begun to spill into the open, underscored by sharp public remarks from CPI(M) Palakkad district secretariat member S. Ajayakumar, who launched a scathing attack on the CPI at a public meeting in Mannoor, Ottappalam.

Ajayakumar accused CPI national general secretary Binoy Viswam of behaving like a “fourth-rate politician” and charged the CPI with political opportunism — alleging that defeats are conveniently blamed on the CPI(M), while any victories are claimed entirely by the CPI.

Mocking the party’s electoral strength, he claimed the CPI commands barely five per cent of the vote share in the State and lacks the capacity to win even a single constituency independently.

He also questioned the CPI’s criticism of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers, asking whether the departments handled by the CPI were beyond reproach.

The outburst comes against the backdrop of a series of developments that have unsettled the ruling front.

The first major flashpoint emerged when the Kerala government decided to sign on to the PM SHRI schools programme without discussions in either the LDF or the State Cabinet.

The CPI openly raised objections, accusing the CPI(M) of unilateralism, and persisted with its opposition until the Pinarayi Vijayan government was forced to withdraw from the scheme — an episode that left visible scars within the alliance.

Since then, relations between the two parties have remained fluid and fragile.

The situation worsened after the December local body polls, where the LDF’s performance failed to meet expectations, triggering internal blame games and a perceptible cooling of camaraderie within the ruling coalition.

Palakkad, particularly Ottappalam, has long been a theatre of intense CPI–CPI(M) rivalry, and Ajayakumar’s remarks are being seen as a reflection of deeper unease rather than an isolated provocation.

With Assembly elections likely to be held in April/May, the public airing of differences threatens to complicate the Left’s efforts to project cohesion and stability.

While the LDF leadership has so far sought to downplay the tensions, the latest war of words suggests that managing internal contradictions may prove as challenging for the Left as confronting its political opponents in the months ahead.

–IANS

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