CPI(M) vs CPI: Deputy leader row intensifies in Kerala’s Left
Thiruvananthapuram: The battle between the CPI(M) and the CPI over the post of Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly has snowballed into the biggest internal confrontation within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) since it lost power, exposing long-standing tensions between the two Communist parties.
It was in 1964 that the CPI(M) was formed after walking out of the CPI.
While the CPI(M), the dominant partner in the alliance, has refused to part with the post, the CPI has made it clear that it will settle for nothing less.
Offers of alternative positions, including the chairmanship of the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, have been rejected outright.
CPI General Secretary D. Raja has publicly declared that the party will not compromise.
Though the two parties project themselves as ideological allies and have jointly led the LDF for decades, the relationship has never been without friction.
The current standoff is only the latest chapter in a history of periodic confrontations, particularly during the decade-long tenure of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The CPI, the second largest constituent of the LDF, repeatedly asserted its independence during Vijayan’s administration.
In one unprecedented episode, all four CPI ministers boycotted a Cabinet meeting over differences with the Chief Minister.
More recently, the party successfully forced the government to withdraw from implementing the Centre’s PM-SHRI school scheme, despite Vijayan having signed the agreement without prior Cabinet approval.
The episode underscored the CPI’s willingness to challenge its larger ally even while remaining within the coalition.
The latest dispute goes beyond a legislative post.
The CPI believes the Deputy Leader of Opposition’s position would provide a much-needed institutional counterweight to the CPI(M)’s dominance within the alliance.
The CPI(M), however, fears that conceding the demand could weaken its authority and fuel internal dissent within the party.
The confrontation has also spilled into the ideological arena.
Through their respective party publications, the two sides have revived debates over Left history, with the CPI defending the legacy of former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon after criticism from the CPI(M).
Achutha Menon remains one of Kerala’s most respected Chief Ministers, widely credited with laying the foundations for the state’s modern development through landmark land reforms, the one lakh housing scheme, and the establishment of several premier institutions that continue to shape Kerala’s economy and social development. Yet, despite his towering contribution to the Left movement, the CPI(M) has rarely celebrated his legacy, a grievance the CPI has highlighted time and again.
As the row intensifies, what began as a dispute over a single Assembly post has evolved into a broader contest over influence, legacy and the future direction of Kerala’s Left movement, raising fresh questions about the cohesion of an alliance that has remained together for more than four decades.
