An 'Organised Attempt' to Weaken the LDF Is Under Way, CPI's K.P. Rajendran Alleges

A senior Communist Party of India leader has sounded the alarm over what he described as an organised bid to weaken Kerala's Left Democratic Front (LDF), accusing anti-Left forces and sections of the right-wing media of working together against the alliance.

K.P. Rajendran, a member of the CPI's national executive, made the allegation on Sunday while inaugurating a two-day district-level party school organised by the CPI at the Teachers' House Hall in Veliyannur, Thrissur.

'A trap laid by opponents'

Addressing party workers, Mr. Rajendran urged cadres not to fall into what he called "a trap laid by opponents of the LDF." His message to the gathering was blunt: the alliance's rivals, he argued, are coordinating their efforts, and the Left's own ranks must not play into their hands.

Electoral defeat 'not the end of anything'

Mr. Rajendran pushed back firmly against bleak readings of the Left's future, insisting the alliance would return to the parliamentary arena with greater strength.

"An electoral defeat is not the end of anything."

He criticised those "attempting to deliver sweeping verdicts on the future of the Left based on a temporary electoral setback." On internal matters, he said the CPI would never allow the Left alliance to be weakened. Differences of opinion within the LDF, he added, could be resolved through discussions and collective consultation — and the alliance, he stressed, has a leadership capable of addressing internal differences and moving forward with renewed strength.

A defence of Achutha Menon's legacy

Mr. Rajendran also mounted a strong defence of former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon, alleging that attempts were being made to undermine his legacy and portray him as corrupt. Achutha Menon, he said, was a strong Chief Minister who laid the foundation for building a modern Kerala.

"Those who know historical facts will reject such attempts with contempt," he said, urging Kerala society to study Achutha Menon's contributions and work towards effectively implementing the development vision for a new Kerala that he had envisaged.

Party school continues on Monday

CPI district secretary K.G. Sivanandan presided over the inaugural session. The programme runs into a second day with more senior voices scheduled to speak.