Displeasure has taken over decorum in political alliances as campaign kicks off for the local body elections in Kerala. Allies will take on each other in several local bodies across the state. The leaders have been on an overdrive to iron out differences ahead of submission of nominations but no amount of coaxing could result in a consensus at least in some places.

In Alappuzha's Ramankari panchayat with 14 wards, CPI, an ally in Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), has fielded candidates in four wards -- Mampuzhakary West, Mampuzhakary Centre, Mampuzhakary East and Vezhapara West. All these seats are currently with the LDF ally CPM. CPI’s Kuttanad North Mandalam Secretary Rajendra Kumar said that more candidates would be fielded in other wards also.

Rajendra Kumar won the 2020 election as the CPM candidate and was elected the president of the panchayat. In May 2024, he was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion. The CPM members supported the motion introduced by the UDF after Rajendra Kumar's relations with the party had strained.

Along with four other CPM members, Rajendra Kumar defected to CPI and quit their official positions. Ramankary has been ruled by the LDF for the past 26 years and has had a CPM president for the past 25 years. CPI had demanded 5 seats this time. However, CPM communicated that it would give only two seats, forcing the CPI to contest elections independently here. "We want to win the local body, nothing else. Candidates will be fielded accordingly," said Rajendra Kumar. Former head of standing committee Sajiv, former vice-president Kunjumol Sivadas, both won the 2020 elections as CPM candidates, will be in the fray as CPI candidates.

Malabar khichdi
The equation is no better in Malabar. After being reportedly spurned by the CPM, CPI is mulling contesting elections independently in Muthuvalloor panchayat in Malappuram. CPM has staked claim to all the 18 seats in this panchayat. The panchayat is a fort of IUML and CPI leaders feel that they stand as good a chance as the CPM here. In 2020, CPM won two reserved wards here; at Parappur and Muthuvalloor. The CPM has also been scornful of its ally at another panchayat -- Nannammukku. 

CPI district secretary P K Krishnadas dismissed the split as isolated instance. "At Muthuvalloor, we have had many people joining the CPI recently. Naturally, we should have got seats here. At Nannammukku, four wards are being considered where CPI may contest independently. But again, these developments in local politics do not reflect the whole picture," he said.

Krishnadas also cited an example. At Vazhayur panchayat in Malappuram which has 17 wards,  UDF rose to power in 2020, riding on the support of two CPI independent members; Punnath Kolleri Sudha and Thekkum Thottathil Praseetha. "This time, the LDF is contesting as a united front here," he said. CPM and CPI have not been on the same page in deciding candidates for panchayats like Thuvvur in Malappuram.

UDF woes
The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) is also plagued by similar concerns. Hectic parleys are underway in Kottakkal municipality after the Congress reportedly communicated to field candidates in as many as 21 wards. It was cited that UDF ally Muslim League hogs most of the seats with high winning probability. K K Nasar, a senior Muslim League leader, referred to these differences as negligible 'spelling errors'.

"We will hold a coordination committee meeting today and all differences will be sorted out. We admit there are differences but we have given strict warning to League members against contesting as Independent candidates in Congress wards," said Nasar. Wary of Asembly elections in 2026, the League also takes care to maintain optics. The ward committee office inauguration of Congress candidates in some seats are being done by the Muslim League leaders. League leaders said that the addition of wards in certain panchayats following the delimitation process has resulted in confusion over candidature.

While the League tries all out to make things appear normal in Malappuram, the party has serious dissent with the Congress leadership in certain seats at Chalakudy municipality.

Saffron in trouble
BDJS, a key ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has done away with even the slightest attempt at discretion. It has made its dissent very clear over the big brother attitude of BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Alappuzha.

The declaration meeting to announce candidates convened by the NDA was even boycotted by the BDJS leaders in Alappuzha and Ernakulam. BDJS leaders were not at all pleased by the absence of party national convener Tushar Vellappally's picture on the poster on announcement of candidates in Alappuzha South. BDJS has already fielded a candidate, S Babukuttan, at Pallipad panchayat in Alappuzha. A BDJS leader said that BJP arrives at a decision during meetings and then declares candidates without consensus. "BDJS may be fielding candidates in Haripad, Alappuzha and Kochi," he said. In Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP is learnt to have been able to ease the tension with the BDJS.