Ruling LDF inducts 4 new allies ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Seeking to widen its political base ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls, the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front Wednesday inducted four more parties into its fold.

A crucial front meeting held here decided to include the Loktantrik Janata Dal led in the state by media baron and Rajya Sabha MP, M P Veerendra Kumar, the K Balakrishna Pillai-led Kerala Congress(B), the Indian National League (INL) and Democratic Kerala Congress (DKC) as new allies.

The other LDF constituents are CPI(M), CPI, Janata Dal (S), NCP, Kerala Congress (Scaria Thomas) and Congress (Secular).

Announcing the decision, LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan said though several parties have been cooperating with the LDF for some time, the final decision was taken about the four parties only.

"As the Congress and the BJP are taking positions which would destroy Kerala's social achievements and destabilise the state by dividing it on communal lines, the LDF is joining hands with similar minds who have taken a stand against this," he told reporters here.

Among the new allies, only the Kerala Congress (B), which has been cooperating with LDF since the last Assembly polls, has a legislator in the House- K B Ganesh Kumar.

Though KC(B) was an ally in the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front when it was in power last time, it had snapped ties with it in 2015 and has been supporting the LDF from outside.

INL, formed by leaders who had parted ways with the Indian Union Muslim League years ago, has been supporting the left front for quite some time.

As far as Veerendra Kumar was concerned, joining LDF was a homecoming. While heading the Janata Dal (Secular), Kumar had parted ways with the LDF over seat sharing before the 2009 Lok Sabaha polls.

He later formed the Socialist Janata (Democratic) party, a UDF partner.

Veerendra Kumar said he was happy to be back in the LDF, a system with which he and his party could go along ideologically.

M V Shreyams Kumar, son of Veerendra Kumar, is the LJD's state president.

The LDF inducted more parties into its fold with an aim to win maximum seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, front sources said.