The CPM, which had banked heavily upon Muslim votes in the last Lok Sabha elections, is in danger of coming up against a near-total desertion of pro-Left organisations by the community in the coming by-election to Assembly constituencies Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Kannur.

Jama’at-e-Islami, which has taken a pro-Left stand in previous elections, has urged its cadre to boycott the by-elections. Its Kerala president T Arifali said on Monday that the by-election has no political relevance as their outcome would make little impact on the government structure. “The LDF government has failed to implement the recommendations of Sachar Committee for the uplift of Muslims. At the same time, the organisation could not see anything positive in the Congress-led United Democratic Front justifying our support. Hence, we have asked the followers to keep away from voting,” Arifali said.

The People’s Democratic Party of Abdul Nazer Madhani, which had a jinxed political association with the Left, has put up its own candidate in Alappuzha to settle scores with the CPI. The CPI, whose candidate is contesting the election for the LDF, had vehemently opposed the PDP-Left alliance in the LS elections. The CPI assistant secretary K E Ismail has publicly challenged the PDP to prove its mettle in the electoral battle and out-rightly rejected its support. The PDP has not shown any incination to campaign for the Left in Ernakulam and Kannur (where the CPM is fielding candidates) either, whereas in the LS elections its chief Madhani himself had crisscrossed the state campaigning for the CPM.

... contd.