Left's political (merger) move with independent MLA's first

Thiruvananthapuram: In a canny move to unseat Muslim League from its invincible position of in the Malabar region, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) is making a move starting with bringing five independent MLA's in Malabar under one umbrella. The concept is under active consideration of the state leadership of CPM.

The five independent MLAs are minister KT Jaleel (Tavanur), PV Anwar (Nilambur), V Abdulrahiman (Tanur), PTA Raheem (Kunnamangalam) and Karat Razack (Koduvalli). All except one of them had contested the last assembly election as CPM-backed independents.

The CPM is trying to bring them under a political party set up, the suggestion for which came from National Secular Conference (NSC) state committee. The only one who contested under the banner of a party is V Abdulrahman of NSC. PTA Raheem is the state president of the party, but he himself had contested as LDF-independent.

The proposal of the new party will be taken up together with LDF's plans to expand the front. Together with the five MLAs, the name of Gafoor P Lillis, who lost in the Tirur constituency in 2016, has also been included. CPM's assessment is that if the idea materializes, the unassailability of Muslim League can be checked in the region.

As for the expansion of the Left front, the parties awaiting entry into the front are INL, Lok Tantrik, Jana Dal, Democratic Kerala Congress, RSP (Leninist), Kerala Congress (B), Nationalist Secular Conference, JSS, and CMP. Both CPM and CPI are of the feeling that it is impractical to make all these parties constituents as they exist now. They feel that it would be desirable for like-minded parties to fome united.