Once a titan of the left, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) now finds itself adrift in a turbulent sea of electoral woes and internal divisions. The party’s historic identity as champion of the working class has been obscured by shifting alliances and repeated splintering, leaving its once impenetrable strongholds exposed to erosion.
The party, already weakened by a decade of legislative absence, recently suffered a blow in the form of senior leader and state committee member Saji D. Anand’s defection and decision to field the BDJS. After his departure, Mr. Anand leveled explosive allegations of collusion between the RSP and the LDF, alleging that a collusion was reached to exchange votes for business support between Eravipuram and Chavara constituencies.
This internal bleeding comes at a time when the RSP is struggling to remain relevant in Kerala politics. While the party used to be a formidable pillar of the Left in southern Kerala, the RSP has struggled to find its footing since its dramatic switch to the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 2014. Although NK Premachandran retained the Kollam Lok Sabha seat mightily, this success failed to reach the assembly level. The performance of the four RSP candidates in this election will determine whether it remains a viable force or fades into legislative history.
A multi-cornered battle
In Eravipuram, the contest has now turned into a complex battle with many horns. LDF incumbent M. Noushad enters the fray with an impressive margin of 28,000 votes to win. The UDF pitted Vishnu Mohan, state secretary of the Revolutionary Youth Front, against him. While Mr. Mohan presents a youthful face, he faces the daunting task of uniting the fractured local unit. The entry of Saji D. Anand as the BDJS candidate further complicates the arithmetic as the former RSP veteran could easily siphon off traditional RSP and neutral votes.
The situation in Chavara is equally high. After suffering a crushing defeat in 2016 and failing to win the seat in 2021, Shibu Baby John’s political future is tied to this outcome. In a strategic bid for continuity, the LDF officially re-nominated the sitting MLA Dr. Sujitha Vijayan Pillai on Chavara, setting the stage for a rematch. Kunnathur constituency, the only segment in Kollam reserved for Scheduled Castes, has a deep-rooted left leaning, as evidenced by Kovoor Kunjumon’s uninterrupted two-year tenure. The battle for Kunnathur is also an ideological clash between the mainstream RSP and its splinter group, the RSP (Leninist), which has merged with the LDF after the transition. In 2026, RSP again fielded Ullas Kovoor against incumbent Kovoor Kunjumon, while BJP Kollam East president Raji Prasad is the NDA candidate.
In Attingal, the ground reality remains dismal. In the last outing, the RSP was relegated to a distant third behind the CPI(M) and the BJP. With OS Ambika LDF holding a commanding lead of 31,000 votes, RSP candidate Santhosh Bhadran faces a huge task. Should the party fail to reopen its account, the resulting migration of cadre and leaders may well signal the end of the RSP as a significant force in Kerala politics.
Published – 21 March 2026 03:21 IST
