RSP leaving Left Front has national significance: Congress

The Revolutionary Socialist Party's decision to move out of the Left Front after over three decades and join the United Democratic Front (UDF) was of national significance, the Congress said Monday.

After a hurriedly called meeting of the state Congress unit, party president V.M. Sudheeran told reporters that the decision by the RSP has "national ramifications".

"We had to get the mandate of our party on the decision to accept the RSP into our fold and tomorrow (Tuesday), the UDF will discuss this issue," he said.

"By and large, there was unanimity in the Congress to let the RSP into the UDF," he said.

The RSP at a party meeting last week decided to end its more than three decade-long association with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The RSP has two members in the assembly and they were reportedly miffed with the CPI-M after they were not called for a discussion on seat-sharing even when they had put up a claim for the Kollam Lok Sabha seat.

"It was due to the shabby treatment meted out to them that they decided to move out. There is no political opportunism in their deciding to move out and we accepting them," Sudheeran said.

The CPI-M has named politburo member M.A. Baby for Kollam and the UDF will field former state minister, parliamentarian and RSP nominee N.K. Premachandran.