Kozhikode: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) state president and former MLA MV Shreyams Kumar on Monday announced that he is stepping away from electoral politics and will not contest in any election in the future.

Speaking to the media after the party’s state committee meeting, Shreyams Kumar said the decision was taken after serious and detailed deliberation and would not change under any pressure.

“I had taken a similar decision during the last assembly election as well. However, due to pressure from the party and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), I was compelled to contest. This time, my decision to stay away from electoral politics is final and will not be changed under any circumstances,” he said.

He added that although the LDF had asked him to contest from the Vatakara assembly constituency, he had declined.

Shreyams Kumar served as MLA from the Kalpetta constituency from 2006 to 2016, when his party was part of the United Democratic Front (UDF). In the 2016 Assembly election, he was defeated by CPM’s CK Saseendran. After the party joined the LDF, Sreyamskumar contested again from Kalpetta but was defeated by Congress candidate T Siddique.

Meanwhile, the RJD state committee meeting decided to demand a larger number of seats to contest in the upcoming assembly elections. At present, the party is allotted three seats.

A section of party leaders raised concerns during the meeting, alleging that the RJD is being neglected within the LDF. They demanded that the party sever ties with the LDF and rejoin the UDF ahead of the assembly polls. However, clarifying the party’s official stance, Shreyams Kumar said the RJD would not leave the LDF.

RJD general secretary Varghese George said internal issues within the LDF led to the defeat of several RJD candidates in the recent local body elections.

Mandalam committees of Kozhikode South and Kozhikode North had already informed the state leadership that they would not cooperate with the LDF in the forthcoming assembly elections. Following this, the CPM leadership invited RJD representatives for discussions before an internal commission set up to investigate the defeat of LDF candidates in various wards of the Kozhikode Corporation. However, RJD leaders in Kozhikode continue to maintain that the party should break its alliance with the LDF. They alleged that sections of the CPM’s local leadership played an active role in the defeat of RJD candidates in the Nadakkavu, Moonnalingal, and Mavoor Road wards of the city corporation.

In 2025, preliminary talks were held between RJD and Congress leaders to bring the party back into the UDF ahead of the local body elections, but the discussions did not materialise. There are now reports that fresh talks are underway to realign the RJD with the UDF ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Varghese George said the party has not received due consideration within the LDF and has a legitimate claim for more seats. He recalled that former CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had promised to increase the number of seats allotted to the RJD and said the current leadership should honour that commitment.

When the RJD was part of the UDF, it was allotted seven assembly seats, in addition to a Rajya Sabha seat. However, after joining the LDF, the party was given only three seats in the 2021 assembly elections.

In the last assembly polls, the RJD contested three seats but won only one — Koothuparamba — where KP Mohanan emerged victorious.