The two factions of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which until a few days before the Lok Sabha elections had been in two rival camps in Kerala’s bipolar political scene, got together to form a single party.

The RSP (B) and RSP, which merged into one at a ‘reunification’ meeting at Kollam on Tuesday, will be part of the ruling United Democratic Front.

The RSP had for more than three decades been part of the Left Democratic Party, but had left the Left camp in March following the refusal of the CPI (M) and CPI, the lead parties of the LDF, to give a seat to contest in the Lok Sabha election. The RSP’s departure was a major jolt to the LDF.

Senior leader of the reunified party came down heavily on the State leaderships of the CPI (M) and the CPI.

TJ Chandrachoodan, national secretary of the RSP, said the CPI (M) had suffered sharp deterioration and that this had badly affected the Left movement in the country. Referring to the CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat’s that his party would take corrective measures and make changes in its policies, Chandrachoodan said the party would not recover from the deterioration without replacing the current State leadership. His ire was directed at CPI (M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

He also criticised the CPI’s State leader Panniam Ravindran.

Costs LDF dear

The RSP’s departure had cost the LDF heavily in the Lok Sabha election. NK Premachandran, the RSP leader who had contested as the LDF candidate in Kollam, could defeat the CPI (M) Polit Bureau member MA Baby.

It also hurt the LDF fortunes in a couple of nearby constituencies. Following his shocking defeat in Kollam, Baby had offered to resign as Kerala Assembly member, but Polit Bureau asked him not to.

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