There is confirmation that Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan's is not the last word in LDF politics.

Barely a week after Pinarayi scorned the CPI's claim to the deputy leader post in the Assembly and nearly two months after he called the CPI demand a "closed chapter", LDF convenor and CPM Central Committee member T P Ramakrishnan said that discussions were being held to thrash out differences on the issue.

"Efforts are on to solve the issue through mutual consultations," Ramakrishnan told reporters on Friday. Unlike the former Chief Minister, the LDF convenor also seemed to value Left unity. "Whatever anyone says, the political force called the Left Democratic Front will be of paramount importance," Ramakrishnan said.

In a sense, this was a negation of Pinarayi's imperious attitude towards the CPI. On August 22, the Opposition Leader had ruled out appointing a CPI member as the deputy leader of the opposition. "It is just a matter of me writing a letter to the Speaker. Once I give the letter, there will be a deputy leader. Don't worry, I will submit the letter," Pinarayi said in a playful tone that suggested that he did not consider the matter to be of any relevance.

When specifically asked whether it would be a CPM or CPI name that he would submit, he responded with the same trivialising smile but unambiguously. "It will be a CPM name."

The CPI declared war. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said that Pinarayi's words lacked political maturity and did not befit the position that he held. The CPI general secretary D Raja said that the CPI demand was just and said that the party would under no circumstances move a step back from its position. CPI assistant secretary Sathyan Mokeri asked Pinarayi to shed his self-delusion. Another CPI veteran, C Divakaran, was blunter. "Who is Pinarayi to say that he would not give the CPI the deputy leader post," the former minister said.

It is in this context, when Pinarayi's 'PM-SHRI'-induced suspicion of the CPI is at its peak, that the LDF convenor said that discussions were on with the CPI to resolve the deputy leader issue. In effect, the LDF convenor had overruled Pinarayi.

Ramakrishnan, however, tried to play down the differences. "Aren't these individual opinions being sharpened by you people?" Ramakrishnan told the media.

When he was told of C Divakaran's outburst against Pinarayi, he did take the bait. "It is his opinion," he said with a calm smile. Nonetheless, he wanted leaders on both sides to exercise restraint. "This airing of individual opinions should be avoided as much as possible," the LDF convenor said.

Yet, he did not find fault with Pinarayi. When he was asked whether the Opposition Leader had shot his mouth off before a consensus was reached in the LDF, Ramakrishnan said: "The Opposition Leader's comment was based on an earlier decision." This was as clear a hint as any that there was a former understanding within the LDF that the deputy leader post would be held by the CPM.

Pinarayi had commented on these lines on July 4. "The Front is governed by certain procedures and conventions, and it has no plans to subvert these," he had said. In July, he also said that the issue did not even merit a discussion in the LDF. "As the Opposition Leader's post could never be a topic for discussion in the LDF, the deputy leader's post too could never be," Pinarayi said. The CPI, on the other hand, argued that conventions were not written in stone.

But Pinarayi was dismissive right from the outset. When told in July that CPI secretary Binoy Viswam and Parliamentary Party leader K Rajan were repeatedly making the demand, he swatted the demand aside like it were a nuisance. "They will keep on saying this. There is nothing more to think about it. It is a closed chapter," Pinarayi said.