The common notion after the drubbing suffered by the Left Democratic Front, which was ousted from power in the last state assembly election, is that it is currently scrambling to recover by identifying the causes of its defeat and rectifying its lapses and loopholes. However, the fact that even two months after the election results were declared, the Left Front has been unable to sit together and realistically evaluate the causes of failure or initiate corrective measures points to a grave state of affairs. Although there are nine alliance partners in the Left Front, those who managed to win the election—leaving aside a lone RJD candidate—are exclusively from the CPI(M) and the CPI. Consequently, the onus of convening the front's meeting rests on these two parties. Yet, not only has this failed to happen, but there is no clear indication either as to when it will take place. While it was announced that a collective evaluation would occur only after each alliance partner analysed the reasons for the defeat on its own, the spectacle unfolding before the public is one of persistent uncertainty and confusion.
The reason is none other than the ongoing cold war between the major allies, the CPI(M) and the CPI. Even before the new assembly was scheduled to convene, the CPI had demanded the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Although hints were initially dropped that this was a demand that could be resolved through mutual discussion, as days went by the 'big brother' stood firm on the stance that the Deputy Leader position rightfully belonged to them according to convention, and no compromise was possible. Consequently, alongside declaring former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the Leader of the Opposition, the party installed former Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal as the Deputy Leader. The seating arrangements in the Assembly were shuffled accordingly. With Pinarayi Vijaythe time the UDF was in the opposition: though the Congress held the Leader of the Opposition post, the Deputy Leader position was conceded to the Muslim League, the second-largest party in the alliance. However, Pinarayi Vijayan remains firm that this is not a convention that applies to the Left Front. Since neither party possesses a strong national leadership to mediate, the squabbling continues indefinitely. As a result, the CPI is now openly retaliating, stating that if Pinarayi Vijayan had been willing to rectify the three blunders they had pointed out in a timely manner, they would not have had to suffer such a colossal defeat in the first place.
Also read: Lessons from a miserable defeat
Kerala has witnessed how the CPI could only bow down to the arrogance of Pinarayi Vijayan, who led the Left Democratic Front government that completed ten consecutive years in power as a first in Kerala's history. The party has also been unable to rise as a genuine corrective force. Back when the CPI possessed comparatively stronger leaders, they were capable of openly voicing dissenting opinions on certain decisions or actions, thereby forcing at least some compromises. Currently, the claim that the CPI's state leadership is weak is not merely an allegation raised by its rivals, but an open expression of opinion from within its own camp. In any case, if the major components of the Left Front set their house in order by putting an end to their discord as quickly as possible, fail to assume the role of a true opposition, and fail to use public support to correct the lapses and flaws of the UDF government—which sits in power with a massive majority—the damage would be on democracy itself. It is also an undeniable reality that the party that will naturally capitalise on such a decline faced by democracy will be the right wing forces.