If the rainbow coalition of minor parties and Independents was seen as a key factor behind the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) historic second term in 2021, the poor performance of its smaller constituents has come under sharp scrutiny following its drubbing in the 2026 elections.

The LDF, an alliance of around a dozen parties, had shared the 140 Assembly seats among some 10 parties and a number of Independents for the recent polls. However, only the CPI(M) (26 seats), the CPI (8), and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (1) will have representation in the new Assembly.

Seven parties which contested in their own party symbols failed to secure a single seat. Together, they contested 20 constituencies but drew a blank. Notably, the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)], which contested 12 seats, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP (SP)], which fielded candidates in three constituencies, failed to open accounts. Meanwhile, the Indian Socialist Janata Dal (ISJD), Indian National League (INL), Congress (S), KC (B) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist), all of which contested one seat each, also remained unsuccessful.

In addition, all 16 Independents, including two candidates from the ISJD (formerly Janata Dal (Secular)) and two from the INL, backed by the LDF were defeated. Further, P.T.A. Rahim, representing the National Secular Conference (NSC), which he founded in 2011, also fell short as an Independent candidate.

While the RJD managed to retain the Koothuparamba seat, its candidates were defeated in Vadakara and Kalpetta.

In 2021

The contrast with the 2021 Assembly elections is striking. Five years ago, the LDF’s broad-based coalition successfully mobilised diverse community and regional interests. When the LDF returned to power with 99 seats, these smaller constituents and Independents together accounted for 20 seats. As such, the KC(M) won five, JD(S) (two), NCP (two), and KC(B), INL, Loktantrik Janata Dal (which merged with RJD in 2023), Congress (S) and Janadhipathya Kerala Congress, one each. Also, six Left-backed Independents won in the 2021 polls.

This time, however, the coalition was unable to withstand a wave of anti-incumbency directed at the 10-year-old government. The results suggest that localised support has fractured, with traditional voters drifting towards a resurgent Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) or the expanding footprint of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The wipeout has prompted demands for the LDF to reconsider its seat-sharing arrangements. Critics argue that veteran Ministers such as A.K. Saseendran of the NCP and Ramachandran Kadannappally of the Congress (S) ought not have been fielded in constituencies such as Elathur and Kannur, political turfs, where the CPI(M) possesses the strong cadre base necessary to prevail, but the smaller parties do not have.

Call for merger

The latest outcome has prompted calls for consolidation among like-minded parties. RJD State secretary general Varughese George said the results point to an existential crisis for several smaller and regional players within the LDF. “We think it is time for Janata, Socialist, and parties like the NCP (SP) and Congress (Secular) to come together and merge in a socialist party like the RJD,” he said, hinting at a possible realignment within the broader Left space.