Published Sep 09, 2026 | 8:10 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 09, 2026 | 8:10 AM
Binoy Viswam and Pinarayi Vijayan.
D Raja’s latest advice to Pinarayi Vijayan that the Opposition Leader should take the initiative to resolve the differences within the Left in Keralam may sound like a routine appeal for unity. But beneath it lies a rather uncomfortable reality for the CPI: the cracks in the LDF are becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
But the CPI in Keralam is showing little interest in burying its differences with Vijayan and restoring business as usual within the Left. What started as frustration over the CPI(M)’s reluctance to accommodate its demand for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition position has now spilt into a broader political disagreement.
The latest CPI episode reinforces a long-standing concern: Vijayan makes key decisions on his own and leaves his allies to deal with the consequences.
The Deputy LoP controversy has become more than a question of one Assembly post. For the CPI, it has become a question of its position within the LDF.
After the 2026 Assembly election debacle, the LDF was reduced to just 35 seats, with the CPI(M) holding 26 and the CPI eight. The CPI argued that the Deputy LoP post should come to it as a gesture towards collective leadership at a time when the Left is trying to recover from a crushing defeat.
The CPI(M), however, was not particularly interested in changing the old script.
For decades, the arrangement has been rather predictable. Since the formation of the LDF in 1980, whenever the alliance has been in Opposition, both the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader posts have gone to the CPI(M).
Tradition, in this case, seems to have proved stronger than the CPI’s latest demand for a little more space.
Vijayan’s recent declaration that the name he recommends to the Speaker would certainly be that of a CPI(M) leader only deepened the irritation. And CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam made it clear that the party was not prepared to accept the decision quietly.
His open insistence on the Deputy LoP post exposed just how frustrated the ‘little brother’ has become.
But the post is only the latest flashpoint.
For years, the CPI has complained about what it considers the CPI(M)’s “big brother” attitude — unilateral decisions, limited consultation, and a tendency to treat coalition partners as passengers rather than co-drivers. The criticism has become sharper after the LDF’s electoral defeat, with the CPI increasingly questioning whether the alliance can continue functioning under the same old hierarchy.
And the irony is difficult to miss.
The CPI is trying to rebuild itself, reschedule its organisational priorities and lead protests against the Narendra Modi government at the national level. It is also attempting to project itself as a party with an independent political voice. Yet, in Keralam its biggest struggle appears to be convincing its own bigger ally that it actually has one.
The recent induction of Aparajita Raja, daughter of Raja and Annie Raja, as a candidate member of the CPI National Council also comes as the party attempts to refresh its organisational structure. But Aparajita has so far chosen to remain cautious about commenting on political controversies, particularly Keralam’s internal Left battles.
Meanwhile, Viswam has been considerably less restrained.
His recent criticism of Vijayan and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan — saying the CPI has never supported casteism or Islamophobia and has never sought bonds with casteist leaders was widely seen as another dig at Vijayan’s much-discussed interaction with Vellappally.
So, the CPI knows exactly what it believes went wrong. The problem is that its ”big brother” does not appear particularly interested in hearing the diagnosis.
Raja’s call for Vijayan to take the initiative is therefore significant. It is not merely a call for Left unity. It is also a reminder that unity cannot mean one party deciding while the other adjusts.
The CPI may be the smaller partner, but its patience is clearly getting smaller too.
And perhaps that is the real story behind the current LDF tension: the little brother has finally started complaining loudly. In contrast, the big brother still seems convinced that everyone else is responsible for the family quarrel.
