CPI(M) Rejects Alliance With Congress After Local Body Poll Results in Kerala

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday ruled out any political understanding with the Congress to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from assuming power in local bodies in Kerala, following mixed outcomes in the recently concluded local body elections.

Although both the CPI(M) and the Congress are constituents of the INDIA bloc at the national level, the two parties remain bitter rivals in Kerala politics. The BJP’s emergence as the single largest party in key urban bodies, including the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and the Palakkad Municipality, has intensified political churn in the state.

After a meeting of the party’s state secretariat to review the election results, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said the party would respect the people’s mandate and avoid any post-poll arrangements. “There will be no horse trading. CPI(M) does not need power for survival. There will be no understanding with the Congress to keep the BJP out of power,” Govindan told reporters.

In Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP secured 50 wards, while the CPI(M) and the Congress together won 48, with two independents holding the balance. A similar situation emerged in the 53-member Palakkad municipal council, where the BJP won 25 seats, while the CPI(M) and Congress together matched that tally, alongside three independents.

While sections of local leadership in both parties had explored the possibility of cooperation to block the BJP, sources said such a move was deemed politically risky with the Kerala Assembly elections just four months away.

The situation is further complicated in several panchayats and block panchayats where fringe political outfits—including Jamaat-e-Islami–linked Welfare Party of India and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), associated with the banned Popular Front of India—have emerged as decisive players. Both the CPI(M) and the Congress are expected to exercise caution to avoid any political backlash from alleged associations with such groups.

Responding to claims of anti-incumbency against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, Govindan rejected the suggestion, asserting that the party’s support base remains intact. He pointed out that in seven of the state’s 14 district panchayats, voting patterns largely followed traditional political lines.

“There is no anti-government sentiment. The government has several notable achievements. The reasons for the electoral setback will be examined,” he said.

Govindan also indicated that the party would assess its performance in central Kerala, where Christian voters are influential, and in Malappuram district, where Muslim voters dominate. He added that the party would also review whether controversies such as the Sabarimala gold scandal had any impact on the election results.