Many small parties in Kerala have expressed interest in forging alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming lok Sabha election and discussions also have taken place in this regard. However, it seems to be unable to make up its mind on entering into electoral adjustments.
Prominent among the parties that have shown willingness to join hands with AAP for the lok Sabha polls is the anti-CPI(M) Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP). The National Secular Conference, presently an ally of the CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF, has already held talks with AAP representatives but it will take a final decision after discussions in its State committee.
However, the State leadership of the AAP said on Sunday evening that it would not forging electoral alliances and that it was not in talks with any party. The AAP has already decided to field candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur constituencies for the lok Sabha election.
N Venu, leader of the RMP, floated by CPI(M) rebels of Onchiyam in Kozhikode district in 2008 after coming out of it, said that his party planned to contest the lok Sabha election in alliance with the AAP and to field candidates in all the 20 constituencies in the State. He also said that the RMP’s effort was to found a left-oriented people’s alternative.
Rejecting the possibility of merger with AAP, RMP leader KK Rama, widow of party leader TP Chandrasekharan who was hacked to death by a CPI(M) killer gang in May, 2012, said that the two parties would unite to work in all fields where cooperation was possible. She also said that a party like the AAP was relevant in Kerala where corruption was rampant.
The Kerala AAP leadership made it clear that the party had not even thought of having any alliances in Kerala. “The AAP has so far not decided on whether it should contest the lok Sabha election in Kerala and on how many seats it should contest. Such matters would be clear after this month,” said AAP’s State coordinator Manoj Padmanabhan.
Though the AAP said it had not thought of having alliances in Kerala, it said that did not mean that it would not share platform with others. “Poll-related decisions would be taken only by February 15,” Manoj said. The AAP, which opened its Kerala office at Kochi the other day, is currently on a membership drive in the State.
In the meantime, PTA Rahim, State president of the National Secular Conference, admitted that his party had held talks with AAP representatives from Malappuram district. However, Rahim, who had won the Kunnamangalam Assembly seat as a left-backed candidate, refuted as baseless reports that he was planning to join the AAP.
According to National Secular Conference leadership, the meeting with AAP leaders had taken place at the Guest House in Kozhikode on Saturday. “The meeting held on Saturday afternoon lasted 20 minutes and we said a decision could be taken only after discussions in our party’s State committee,” said a leader of that party.
“Reports that I am going to join another organization are baseless,” said Rahim. “We are with the lDF now. If the lDF at any time decides to cooperate with AAP, the matter could be considered then. Till such a situation arises, there is no question of my joining it,” Rahim said.