Last year, 11 political parties, led by the CPI(M), came together in Kerala to fight the election as the Left Democratic Front (LDF). This strategy helped the Left coalition shatter the State’s 40-year record of voting out incumbents. However, since the time of Cabinet formation, the LDF has been facing problems, as its minor constituents are plagued by infighting. Internal strife in the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Indian National League (INL) and the Kerala Congress(B) now appears to have robbed the Pinarayi Cabinet 2.0 of its sheen.
In December 2021, LJD rebels led by State general secretary Sheikh P. Harris and State secretaries Angathil Ajaykumar and V. Rajesh Prem quit the party and are now waiting in the wings to join the CPI(M). Before they quit, they were removed from their posts after they sought the sacking of party State president M.V. Shreyams Kumar for failing to take responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the Assembly elections.
The NCP has been in turmoil since former Congress leader P.C. Chacko joined the party before the Assembly polls and was later elevated to the post of State president. The division of electoral spoils, particularly the recent nomination of a member to the Kerala Public Service Commission, has exposed the rift in the party between Mr. Chacko and Minister A.K. Saseendran. The differences have forced CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and LDF convener A. Vijayaraghavan to step in and ask the leaders to resolve their differences and party national president Sharad Pawar to summon them to Mumbai.
