LDF ahead of rivals in Kerala as parties prepare for Assembly elections

As Kerala prepares for the Assembly election schedule announcement, the ruling LDF appears ahead in candidate selection and seat-sharing discussions, while the Congress-led UDF is still negotiating with allies and finalising its list of candidates.

Thiruvananthapuram: Ahead of the announcement of Kerala Assembly elections schedule on Sunday, the contrasting levels of preparedness among the three major political fronts have come into sharp focus, with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) appearing well ahead of its rivals in finalising candidates and seat arrangements.

Within the 10-party LDF, both the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Communist Party of India have almost completed their candidate selection after internal consultations and have broadly reached a consensus on their respective lists.

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Party sources indicated that discussions with smaller allies are also nearing completion, suggesting that the ruling coalition could unveil a near-final list soon.

The LDF enters the election with a position of strength after its emphatic performance in the 2021 Assembly polls.

In the outgoing 140-member Assembly, the CPI-M-led front secured 99 seats, while the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) managed 41.

The National Democratic Alliance failed to retain the lone seat it had won in 2016.

Vote share figures from the last Assembly election also underline the advantage enjoyed by the ruling front.

The LDF secured 45.43 per cent of the votes, followed by 39.47 per cent for the UDF and 12.41 per cent for the BJP-led NDA.

In contrast, the eight-party UDF is yet to iron out several crucial issues.

The Congress, which leads the coalition, has not finalised its list of candidates.

More importantly, seat-sharing negotiations with key allies such as the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress-Joseph remain unresolved.

Traditionally, the Congress contests around 90 seats, with the remaining constituencies shared among partners, including the IUML, Kerala Congress factions led by P. J. Joseph and Anup Jacob, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Communist Marxist Party, the Revolutionary Marxist Party and the party led by legislator Mani C. Kappen.

Historically, these seat-sharing talks have been the most sensitive aspect of the UDF’s pre-election preparations, and early indications suggest that this election cycle is no different.

The BJP-led NDA, however, is unlikely to face such complications.

As the dominant partner in the alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to decide most seats, followed by allies such as the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena and the Twenty20 party led by businessman turned politician Sabu M. Jacob, which has a presence in a few Assembly constituencies in Ernakulam district.

With the election battle set to be formally launched, the pace at which alliances settle their internal arrangements could prove crucial in shaping the early momentum of the campaign.