The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has ended speculation of a possible defection to the opposition and confirmed that it will remain with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The decision followed a tense meeting of the state committee in Kozhikode on Monday, where senior leaders successfully neutralized an uprising by several district units campaigning to defect to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
The bid to withdraw from the Left coalition followed a string of disappointing results in local body elections held in December 2025. District leaders claimed the party’s credibility was under threat after it lost ground in key areas, including the Kozhikode corporation. They blamed the CPI(M) for defeating all the five candidates the party fielded in the corporation and accused its local leaders of internal sabotage and vote-rigging.
Offers to resign
However, state president MV Sreyams Kumar took a tough stand against the move and informed the committee that switching loyalties so close to the elections would be suicidal for the party’s reputation. In a dramatic twist, Mr Kumar reportedly offered his resignation, a move that eventually forced dissenting local leaders to fall in line and preserve the current alliance.
After the media meet, Mr. Kumar said that the RJD continued to be an integral part of the Left’s governance framework in Kerala. Any kind of disunity at the front such as allotment of board and corporation chairmen would be resolved through dialogue, he said, adding that he would not be in the race for assembly votes this time.
Kovalam and Chalakudy
While the RJD has pledged to stay, the party will also demand a bigger share of the pie during seat-sharing negotiations with the CPI(M). It is seeking to contest five seats in the Assembly, an increase from the three it held in the previous elections in 2021.
Apart from the seats contested in the previous elections – Kalpetta, Koothuparamba and Vadakara – the RJD has its sights set firmly on the Kovalam and Chalakudy segments. The claim to Kovalam is bolstered by the presence of Neelalohithadasan Nadar, whose strong local ties the party hopes to tap, party sources said.
Published – 09 Feb 2026 20:36 IST
