RSP divided over allying with Congress in a national level

The Central Committee of Revolutionary Socialist Party, which met here today, failed to resolve the deep division between its West Bengal and Kerala units over the latter's election-eve decision to leave the CPI(M)-led LDF and join the Congress-led UDF. After prolonged deliberations, the two sides, however, decided to "maintain status quo" till the party congress in April 2015 took a final call. Briefing reporters after the meeting in the presence of West Bengal leaders Aabani Roy and Kshiti Goswamy, RSP General Secretary T J Chandrachudan said both sides agreed to adopt a "wait-and-see" approach till the national meet.

He admitted the party units outside Kerala found it difficult to digest the idea of RSP continuing as part of the Congress-led alliance at the national level. However, Kerala leaders explained to them the peculiar circumstances under which they were compelled to pull out of the LDF and put up N K Premachandran as the party candidate in Kollam with the UDF support in the Lok Sabha polls. "We agree that there is a contradiction and it still persists. Both sides, however, are keen that a split should be avoided. So we have decided to maintain stats quo till the party congress took a final decision when it meets in April next year," Chandhrachudan said.

RSP in Kerala severed its long association with the LDF on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls after the CPI(M) rejected its demand for a seat. After crossing over the Front it fielded Premachandran as candidate in the Kollam seat, which he won with a comfortable margin defeating CPI(M) polit bureau member M A Baby.