NCP partners Left Front in Kerala

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a prominent ally of the Congress-lead UPA at the Centre, is now set to play an important role in the Kerala Left Front.

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has welcomed the NCP, in an effort to broaden its political base with the local body elections and assembly polls due in 2011. A meeting of the LDF held on Wednesday also decided to bring a faction of the state Congress – lead by former minister of state for law PC Thomas – in its fold.

In spite of a resistance from the RSP and Congress(S), the front decided to include NCP. The party has two MLAs, AK Sasheendran and Thomas Chandy, in the state assembly.

The move sets an interesting precedence to both state and national politics at a time the Left parties are protesting against the economic and political policies of the UPA government. Kerala had observed two bandhs against the hike in petroleum products prices within the last fortnight. The front had also criticised NCP leader Sharad Pawar for the steep rise in prices of food products in India.

The state unit was also on a political campaign against Pawar for reducing the rice quota for the state. The front had alleged that Pawar was behind the move to settle a political issue with the left front government in the state.

To counter the state government claims, Union minister had alleged that the government had sold the wheat allotted for distribution through ration shops, in the open market. However, the war of words between the NCP and the Left parties seemed to have taken a back seat, and the two have come together to revive their political standing at the state level. According to sources, the marriage between the two parties, was facilitated by the central leadership of both the CPI and CPI(M).

Wednesday’s meeting, however, did not discuss the long-pending demand of the Forward Block to join the Front.

Interestingly, the LDF meet also decided to work on a strategy to to strengthen the struggle against the UPA government. The Front will organise three state-wide campaigns against the anti-people policies of the UPA government between July 30 and August 4.

Following the state Congress and Janatha Dal’s decision to distance themselves from the alliance, the LDF was in a tight spot. The Indian National League (INL) had also withdrawn their support to the LDF.

The Front was also forced to end its strategic political tie-up with PDP, a fundamental Muslim outfit, because of its alleged involvement in terrorists activities.

The possibility of losing ground among the Christian and Muslim communites, NCP was an obvious choice, said analysts.