Small and 'big' LDF allies weigh future as key polls near amid growing discontent

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 14 (IANS) With tribal leader C.K. Janu, whose political party is presently unaligned with any of the three political fronts in Kerala openly expressing her desire to join the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), political circles across the state are abuzz with speculation that more smaller allies of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) may be rethinking their future course ahead of two crucial elections.

The UDF has already extended an olive branch to its former ally Kerala Congress (M), with UDF Convenor and MP Adoor Prakash publicly saying that they would be welcomed back with "open arms".

Kerala Congress (M), now led by Jose K. Mani -- son of the late political stalwart K.M. Mani -- was a long-time UDF ally before switching sides to the LDF ahead of the 2020 local body polls.

The move gave the Left a major boost in Kottayam district in both the 2020 local body polls and the 2021 Assembly polls.

But Jose faced a setback in 2021 when he lost his father's traditional bastion -- a seat held by the late K.M. Mani without defeat since 1967.

But Jose's party, which contested 12 seats, won five and made them the third biggest ally in the Left.

With the local body elections due in a few weeks and the Assembly polls in April–May 2026, a faction within Kerala Congress (M) is reportedly pushing for a return to the UDF, a sentiment that aligns with Prakash's invitation.

Discontent is also brewing within smaller LDF partners.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), with one MLA and led by media baron M.V. Shreyams Kumar, is among those sending signals of unease.

Notably, both Shreyams Kumar and his late father M.P. Veerendra Kumar have a history of moving between rival political fronts, often timing their switches to maximise political gains.

The trigger for this emerging churn is believed to be the ongoing Sabarimala gold plating row, which has dented the image of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Kerala government and weakened the earlier talk of a historic third term for Pinarayi Vijayan.

While C.K. Janu herself is not a major electoral force, her public willingness to align with the UDF -- reportedly with an approval from Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi -- could be the spark for a larger realignment.

Whether this remains a trickle or turns into a wave of shifting loyalties may shape the contours of Kerala's pre-poll political landscape.

--IANS

sg/khz