T’puram: CPI’s demand for the deputy opposition leader post is snowballing into a major crisis within LDF as talks between senior functionaries of both parties failed to break the deadlock on Wednesday. Later, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the failure to reach a consensus was not a sign of his party’s weakness and CPI did not consider the impasse an insult.On Tuesday, CPM state secretary M V Govindan had almost ruled out CPI’s claim for the post in public. He said CPM had held the opposition leader and deputy opposition leader posts for a long time and his party was confident of settling the issue amicably.Most parties in LDF suffered a rout in assembly elections. KC(M), which threatened CPI’s position as the second-largest party in LDF, failed to win a single seat. CPM’s tally fell to 26 seats from 62 in 2021 elections while CPI lost more than half the seats it held in the previous assembly. CPI won eight seats against the 17 it had last time. RJD was the only other constituent to win a seat. LDF has 12 constituent parties and nine of them failed to win seats in assembly elections. This is what prompts CPI to bargain for the deputy leader post.CPI’s move has not gone down well with CPM and a section within CPI. CPM sees the demand as an attempt by CPI to assert its position by capitalizing on the political setback suffered by LDF in assembly elections.Many senior CPM functionaries consider CPI’s bargaining inappropriate and disconnected from CPI’s own limited political strength. They believe CPI played a significant role in discrediting the second Pinarayi Vijayan govt by trying to claim the moral high ground on a number of issues. A section of CPI functionaries feel Viswam should not have taken the issue to the public, especially when LDF is going through a weak phase.Because of the deadlock over CPI’s claim for the deputy leader post, LDF has not convened its joint legislative party meeting. CPI told CPM it would not attend the meeting until its claim for the deputy leader post is realized. The dispute over the post could further strain relations between CPM and CPI, especially in the backdrop of the criticism directed at CPM during CPI’s party committee meetings that discussed the reasons for LDF’s electoral debacle.
