Kerala local body polls: RMP strives to retain Left party tag remaining as UDF ‘associate’

The Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), founded by the slain Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] rebel T.P. Chandrasekharan at Onchiyam in Kozhikode district in 2008, is striving to retain its identity as an independent Left party despite its open association with the United Democratic Front (UDF).

The party’s political clout will be put to test in the local body polls as it is planning to field its candidates in more seats this time. The RMP is in power in Onchiyam and Eramala grama panchayats and has elected representatives in Chorod, Azhiyur, and Mavoor grama panchayats and Vadakara block panchayat in Kozhikode district, and Kunnamkulam municipality and Thalikkulam grama panchayat in Thrissur district.

N. Venu, RMP State secretary, says that the party is planning to field candidates in more places in Kozhikode district, such as Vadakara municipality, and efforts are on to expand its presence in districts such as Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam as well.

UDF support

The RMP has got the UDF’s support at the panchayat level for long even though it has been trying to maintain an independent Leftist position on issues ever since its inception. It started openly supporting the UDF from the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In the 2021 Assembly polls, RMP leader K.K. Rema got elected as the party’s first MLA, from Vadakara, with UDF support. The RMP has been a pillar of strength for Congress leader Shafi Parambil, who emerged victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency.

However, political rivals point out that the number of grama panchayat members belonging to the RMP has been declining in its birthplace, Onchiyam. In the 2010 local body polls, the party had eight members there. It came down to five in 2015 and four in 2020. The party is retaining power in Onchiyam with the help of the UDF now. In Eramala panchayat, the RMP had three members each in 2010 and 2015. In the previous local body polls, it had five members. The party is in alliance with the UDF here as well. The RMP’s nominee became the president of the Mavoor grama panchayat for a brief period recently as part of a political understanding with the Congress-led coalition.

One-member majority

T.P. Bineesh, Onchiyam area secretary of the CPI(M), claims that the RMP’s strength has been waning since 2015 as it has no ideology or political commitment. “The RMP is becoming an appendage of the UDF to remain in power. In 2020, they retained power with the majority of one member in Onchiyam. The number of CPI(M) members, meanwhile, has increased there since 2010, from five to eight,” he says.

In Eramala grama panchayat, a stronghold of the socialists where the Socialist Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (United) had eight members each in 2010 and 2015, Left Democratic Front (LDF) ally Loktantrik Janata Dal was reduced to four members in 2020. Mr. Bineesh says that the setback happened due to some local issues and it will be turned around this time. The CPI(M) and its allies will advance not only in Onchiyam and Eramala but in Azhiyur and Chorod as well, he says.

Mr. Venu attributes the reduction of seats in Onchiyam and Eramala in 2020 to “local factors.” The party has already taken corrective steps to not only to increase its tally in these local bodies but also to help it open an account in other places as well, he adds.