Left Front unity in Kerala has disintegrated: Congress

Kerala's opposition Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), has disintegrated and there are three factions in its place, a senior Congress leader said Saturday.

The single reason for this disintegration is because of the war between the CPI-M and the Communist Party of India (CPI), former minister and state Congress vice president M.M. Hassan told reporters here.

"The difference between the CPI-M and CPI has reached a flash point and every day you see a war of words in the form of articles in their party organs.

"It has come to a stage that the CPI on its own had to stage a protest in the recent bar graft case. Even a meeting of the LDF is not taking place and now we hear they are meeting on 17th of this month," said Hassan.

"Today there are three groups in the LDF, one is led by CPI-M leader V.S. Achuthanandan and the CPI. The second one is led by the faction of CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan and the third is of the Nationalist Congress Party which has now split after the incidents in Maharashtra," said Hassan.

The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) appears to have become the biggest gainer as the LDF has not been able to even stage a joint protest after a whistle blower had revealed that Finance Minister K.M. Mani took Rs.1 crore as bribe to reopen 418 bars that have not opened since this fiscal.

"The CPI alone staged a protest on this but now it has become clear that the protest was not against Mani, but against the CPI-M. It has now come to a stage that the LDF is unable to even take any action against the NCP for fear of losing legislators from their side," said Hassan.

Now all eyes are on the LDF meeting to be held here Monday as this is the first time they are going to sit together since the war of words between the two red parties have intensified.