RMP demands 2 seats from Congress, party wants KK Rema, N Venu in fray

Kozhikode: The Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), which has pockets of influence across parts of Malabar and aligns with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, has formally demanded an additional Assembly seat to contest in the upcoming state elections.

At present, the party has one MLA, KK Rema, who represents the Vatakara constituency. Rema, the wife of slain RMP leader TP Chandrasekharan, won the seat in 2021 and has sided with the UDF.

This time, the RMPI leadership has sought one more seat from the UDF, expressing preference for either Kunnamkulam in Thrissur district or Nadapuram in Kozhikode district. Party sources indicate that Kunnamkulam is the top priority, citing improved grassroots performance in recent local body elections in Kunnamkulam municipality and neighbouring panchayats.

In the local body polls, the party won a total of 33 seats across the state, including four seats in Kunnamkulam municipality and two in neighbouring Thalikkulam panchayat. The party also secured representation in Vatakara and Kunnamkulam block panchayats, as well as in Maniyur and Mavoor panchayats.

While Nadapuram remains under consideration, party leaders admit there are practical challenges. Political equations between the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), another key UDF constituent, could complicate seat-sharing in the constituency. Additionally, the RMPI acknowledged coordination issues with UDF grassroots structures during the last local body elections in Nadapuram, suggesting more time is needed to strengthen its organisational base there.

A senior party office-bearer confirmed that the RMPI has conveyed its demand to the UDF leadership, with Kunnamkulam as the preferred option. The party is reportedly considering fielding its state secretary, N Venu, if allotted a second seat.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, KK Rema defeated Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Manayath Chandran in Vatakara by a margin of 7,491 votes. Rema secured 65,093 votes (47.63 per cent), while Chandran polled 57,602 votes (42.15 per cent). In 2016, Rema had contested as an independent and garnered over 20,000 votes, accounting for more than 15 per cent of the total vote share.

In Kunnamkulam, however, the seat has traditionally favoured the Left. In 2021, AC Moideen of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), a key constituent of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), won the seat by a margin of 26,631 votes, defeating Congress candidate K Jayasankar. Moideen is likely to be fielded again. 

With organisational expansion efforts underway beyond Kozhikode district, including a recent election convention held in Ernakulam, the RMPI appears keen to consolidate its position within the UDF and broaden its electoral footprint in the forthcoming Assembly polls.