THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) may not have State-level political alliance or understanding with the National Congress (Indira) in next month's local body elections, but it would certainly have a tactical tie-up at the local level with the NC(I). And not just with the NC(I). The LDF would strike local-level deals with the Indian National League (INL) as well.

The tie-up would take the form of common candidates in wards where the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) is certain to win in a three-cornered contest. This would not foreclose the option of the LDF taking the NC(I) head-on in wards where it would be a toss-up between the two. This would suit both the sides as neither would be seen as having deviated from their political positions, but enable them to do business with each other.

This would not also negate CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan's statement that his party would not have a political alliance or State-level understanding with the NC(I). The CPI(M) already has tie-up with the NC(I) and the INL in several local bodies. The flexible political strategy that the party and the LDF would adopt at the grassroots would only mean continuation of what is already being done. It is clearly an unhappy option for the CPI(M), but the party is keen that nothing should be done to facilitate an easy walkover for the Congress and its allies in any ward in the State.

The LDF State committee, which is slated to meet here on Sunday, would hear the views of Front leaders on the subject. It would take stock of the situation on the basis of their inputs and arrive at a broad understanding on how best to move forward. The non-CPI(M) constituents of the Opposition alliance are understandably worried about the prospect of the NC(I) moving in for a long stay. The CPI(M) State secretary's statement would have dispelled some of their misgivings, but they are very likely to use Sunday's meeting to caution the Front leadership against anything more than the minimum essential adjustments at the local level. On its part, the NC(I) leadership has done its bit to allay the fears of the LDF constituents by stating categorically that it would have no tie-up with the BJP under any circumstance.

Of equal importance to the LDF is the mergers and acquisitions that seem to be taking place on its flanks. The Janata Dal (Secular), for instance, has almost sealed a deal with the Kerala Congress faction led by R. Balakrishna Pillai to contest the local body elections on a common symbol. The Kerala Congress faction led by T. M. Jacob is merging with the NC(I) on August 21. The Kerala Congress faction led by P.C. Thomas, currently an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is in dialogue with the Kerala Congress (Joseph) for a possible merger.

Though Mr. Jacob's decision to merge his party with the NC(I) would not have any immediate implication for the LDF, the merger route being taken by Mr. Pillai and Mr. Thomas to get into the LDF is likely to face some stiff resistance from the LDF constituents. One attenuating factor in Mr. Pillai's case is the good turn he had done for the CPI in the 2004 Lok Sabha election by opposing Congress candidate Kodikkunnil Suresh in Adoor (for which sin he lost his berth in the UDF Cabinet). In Mr. Thomas' case, the only favourable argument would be that with his joining the KC(J), the NDA would cease to have any representative from Kerala in Parliament. If Chief Minister Oommen Chandy gains in strength politically in the coming days with his `development mantra,' the compulsion would be greater on the LDF to step back a little to accommodate new entities at least in its peripheries.

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