Time has come for minor allies of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to seriously mull over merger options to become front constituents ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year.
The Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and the Indian National League (INL) are likely to make it to the LDF soon, but other parties cooperating with the front at present such as the Kerala Congress (B) and the Kerala Congress (Democratic) headed by K. Francis George may have to spare some serious thought over merger options in order to become front constituents.
The INL, a trusted ally of the LDF for long, has proved its loyalty and may soon be inducted into the front. In spite of reports about a possible merger of the Kerala Congress (B) with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the formalities for the merger are yet to be completed. NCP leader Thomas Chandy had of late said the party national leadership had cleared the merger proposal and the modalities would be finalised soon.
The Kerala Congress(B) had opened discussions with the Kerala Congress (Skaria Thomas) faction, but had to be dropped midway. Leaders of both factions had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and expressed their decision to merge, but had to give up in the wake of reported differences of opinion over finalising the top positions in the new entity after the merger.
The merger of the Skaria Thomas faction and the Kerala Congress (Democratic) too would be an equally tough proposition. But it appears that the minor allies can hope of graduating as full-fledged partners only through a merger.
For, stakes are quite high for the Lok Sabha elections that are due early next year and also the byelection to the Manjeshwaram seat that has fallen vacant following the death of incumbent P.B. Abdul Razak. Mr. Razak had defeated BJP leader K. Surendran by a very thin margin and it would be a tough fight for the United Democratic Front (UDF) to retain the seat and the LDF to wrest it.
All minor allies have their own turfs where they wield considerable clout and hence the front could ill-afford to overlook anyone of them ahead of the general elections as well as the byelection being held in a highly surcharged milieu post Sabarimala verdict.