By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : A meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Saturday to finalise the seat-sharing formula in Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections ended in a deadlock.
“The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will now have discussions with the allies on a one-to-one basis and things will be sorted out,” a LDF leader said declining to be named.
In the 2004 elections, CPI-M contested 14 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) four, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Kerala Congress (Joseph) one seat each.
The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Congress-S and the Nationalist Congress Party are also part of the ruling front.
According to party insiders, the CPI-M is keen on reallocation in the seat-sharing formula. It is reportedly interested in Kozhikode Lok Sabha seat which has been with the JD-S since 1980.
But JD-S state president M.P. Veerendara Kumar, the sitting member from Kozhikode, has categorically stated he would contest from same seat this time too.
At the meeting, RSP secretary V.P. Ramakrishna Pillai wanted the Kollam seat back that was given to CPI-M in 1999.
Muvattupuzha MP P.C. Thomas, who in the 2004 election won on a National Democratic Alliance ticket but then joined Kerala Congress (Joseph), will lose his seat after delimitation and is reportedly eyeing Kottayam seat.
But the Kerala Congress (Joseph) is unwilling to dislodge the incumbent MP, Francis George, party sources said.
The CPI too has made it clear that it would contest the four seats like last time.
The LDF has 19 seats from Kerala while Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahmed is the lone United Progressive Alliance MP from the state.