‘SDPI’s support to LDF in Nemom is an isolated decision, not statewide,’ MK Faizy
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.Amid controversy over the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) extending support to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala’s Assembly elections, SDPI national president MK Faizy said on Tuesday, March 31, that the party is yet to decide which front it will back. He added that an official announcement will be made in the coming days.Faizy clarified that the party’s eventual decision would typically apply across the state, rather than vary by constituency. However, he stressed that the move in Nemom was a specific exception. The SDPI has decided to back the LDF candidate in Nemom to prevent a BJP victory.“It doesn’t mean that supporting the CPI(M) candidate in Nemom implies supporting the LDF everywhere,” Faizy told Asianet News on Monday. He later reiterated that Nemom is a lone case. “Supporting the LDF in Nemom is just an isolated decision, not something that applies everywhere,” he said.He also noted that the party has not initiated talks with either front. “Whether it is the LDF or the UDF, we haven’t knocked on the doors of either front,” Faizy said.In Manjeswaram, he added, a final decision on whether to support the UDF is yet to be taken, with the party assessing ground realities before issuing instructions.Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader MA Baby said the LDF has held no political discussions with the SDPI, adding that individuals are free to vote according to their preferences.Amid the developments, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Monday challenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to clarify whether he would reject SDPI support. Accusing the Left of double standards, Satheesan pointed out that the UDF had firmly declined SDPI backing during the parliamentary elections, while alleging that the CPI(M) is now evasive on the issue. He also claimed that the Left labels groups as communal selectively, depending on political convenience.Reiterating the UDF’s stance against both majority and minority communalism, Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of publicly espousing secularism while allegedly engaging in covert understandings with both the RSS and the SDPI — an allegation the Left has consistently denied.Faizy, meanwhile, criticised sections of the Congress in Kerala for their hostility towards the SDPI, noting that political equations differ across states, including Tamil Nadu, where both parties are part of the same alliance. He maintained that the SDPI is under no obligation to support leaders who oppose it.On governance, the SDPI stopped short of calling the LDF government a complete failure, though it flagged certain shortcomings.With political positioning sharpening and the war of words between the UDF and LDF intensifying, the SDPI’s calibrated stance has added a new layer of complexity to Kerala’s electoral battle.(With IANS inputs)
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
AMID controversy over the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) extending support to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala’s Assembly elections, SDPI national president MK Faizy said on Tuesday, March 31, that the party is yet to decide which front it will back.
He added that an official announcement will be made in the coming days.
Faizy clarified that the party’s eventual decision would typically apply across the state, rather than vary by constituency. However, he stressed that the move in Nemom was a specific exception. The SDPI has decided to back the LDF candidate in Nemom to prevent a BJP victory.
“It doesn’t mean that supporting the CPI(M) candidate in Nemom implies supporting the LDF everywhere,” Faizy told Asianet News on Monday. He later reiterated that Nemom is a lone case. “Supporting the LDF in Nemom is just an isolated decision, not something that applies everywhere,” he said.
He also noted that the party has not initiated talks with either front. “Whether it is the LDF or the UDF, we haven’t knocked on the doors of either front,” Faizy said.
In Manjeswaram, he added, a final decision on whether to support the UDF is yet to be taken, with the party assessing ground realities before issuing instructions.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader MA Baby said the LDF has held no political discussions with the SDPI, adding that individuals are free to vote according to their preferences.
Amid the developments, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Monday challenged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to clarify whether he would reject SDPI support.
Accusing the Left of double standards, Satheesan pointed out that the UDF had firmly declined SDPI backing during the parliamentary elections, while alleging that the CPI(M) is now evasive on the issue. He also claimed that the Left labels groups as communal selectively, depending on political convenience.
Reiterating the UDF’s stance against both majority and minority communalism, Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of publicly espousing secularism while allegedly engaging in covert understandings with both the RSS and the SDPI — an allegation the Left has consistently denied.
Faizy, meanwhile, criticised sections of the Congress in Kerala for their hostility towards the SDPI, noting that political equations differ across states, including Tamil Nadu, where both parties are part of the same alliance. He maintained that the SDPI is under no obligation to support leaders who oppose it.
On governance, the SDPI stopped short of calling the LDF government a complete failure, though it flagged certain shortcomings.
With political positioning sharpening and the war of words between the UDF and LDF intensifying, the SDPI’s calibrated stance has added a new layer of complexity to Kerala’s electoral battle.
(With IANS inputs)
