Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 (IANS) With the local body and Assembly polls in Kerala scheduled for this year and in 2026 respectively, the state might witness a shift in political loyalties.
The CPI(M)-led Left that has been in power since 2016 in Kerala is battling anti-incumbency as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s popularity dips.
The Congress-led UDF that is presently in the Opposition is hopeful of forming a government in 2026 as the ruling party battles anti-incumbency.
Political parties presently in the Left have started showing signs of restlessness and with the UDF leaders already opening their doors, the coming months could see a few defections.
Significantly, in the 2020 local body polls, the Kerala Congress (M) that was having a hard time in the UDF, had an informal understanding with the Left.
Consequently, after the CPI-M did well in the local body polls, just before the 2021 Assembly elections the Kerala Congress (M) was made a full-fledged ally of the Left.
Its leader Jose K. Mani is a Rajya Sabha member and one of their legislators Roshy Augustine is the state Water Resources Minister in the Vijayan Cabinet.
Likewise, the lone Kerala Congress (B) legislator, the present state Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar also dumped the UDF and contested with the Left in the 2021 Assembly polls.
In 2018 the then Janata Dal (U) led by media baron M.P. Veerendra Kumar who was a serving Rajya Sabha member, after a brief sojourn with the UDF returned to the Left fold.
After he passed away in 2020, his son M.V. Shreyams Kumar continued as Rajya Sabha member till his term ended and in the 2021 Assembly polls, he and his party contested as a Left ally and won one seat.
Now, with the Assembly polls set to be held sometime in 2026 April or May, all three parties, i.e. the Kerala Congress (M), Kerala Congress (B) of Ganesh Kumar and Shreyams Kumar are getting restless with the sagging image of the Pinarayi Vijayan government which is shortly entering its ninth-successive year.
A top political leader in the erstwhile Kerala Congress (M) who is presently with the UDF said the message coming from the rank and file of the party led by Jose K Mani is that they are unhappy being in the Left.
“Likewise, the head of churches which has always supported the Kerala Congress (M) is also not that pleased. Now the ball is in the court of the Congress which leads the UDF. Do not be surprised if Jose and his party join the UDF before the 2026 Assembly polls,” said the top political leader on condition of anonymity.
Already the olive branch has been offered to the Left and it came from none other than the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second-biggest and the most powerful ally of the Congress.
“The UDF is open and its doors are never closed,” said PMA Salam the general secretary of the IUML.
Likewise, a majority of the Congress leadership is also open to rope in Kerala Congress (M) as they are a significant force in the central districts of the state.
With the BJP-led NDA also consolidating its position, the UDF leadership cannot afford to sit in the Opposition benches for a third term.
Already, the now-ousted two-time Left Independent legislator P.V. Anvar has said he is willing to join the UDF.
The IUML, which knows the danger of keeping him out is batting for him and the first person to be accommodated in the UDF could be Anvar.
With the budget session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly scheduled later this month, Anvar will be firing on all cylinders against CM Vijayan.
Now it remains to be seen how many people change sides in the months leading up to the Assembly polls in Kerala.
–IANS
sg/rad
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