Adoor Prakash, the convenor of Kerala’s United Democratic Front (UDF), claimed in a press conference that key decisions were being taken without consulting alliance partners and that UDF meetings were not being convened, leading to a surge in criticism from opposition parties.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seized on Prakash’s remarks to intensify attacks on Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan accused the UDF of being in a state of “complete disarray,” arguing that the CM was making unilateral decisions after consulting the Bharatiya Janata Party. Govindan also alleged that several Congress leaders were backing Prakash’s call for greater consultation, while only a few supported Satheesan, suggesting a growing split within the UDF.
LDF convenor T. P. Ramakrishnan echoed these concerns, pointing out the lack of collective decision‑making within the UDF and accusing the CM of taking a unilateral stance. He raised the issue of Satheesan’s chartered flight to Mangaluru before he became chief minister, alleging that the CM had met with BJP leaders and representatives of the Adani Group during the trip. Ramakrishnan further criticised the government for failing to address livelihood issues, citing the return of power cuts and load shedding, and called for clarity from the party high command and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
Former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking at the inauguration of an extended district committee meeting in Malappuram, described Prakash’s statements as serious and as evidence of a breakdown in the functioning of the UDF. Vijayan warned that the identity of Kerala was being undermined if the alliance continued to operate without collective discussion and urged that the situation be addressed before it escalated further.
