Indian political party
Political party in India
The Left Democratic Front (LDF ) is an alliance of left-wing political parties led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the Indian state of Kerala . It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016.[ 2] It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the other being Indian National Congress -led United Democratic Front , each of which has been in power alternately for the last four decades.[ 3] LDF has won the elections to the State Legislature of Kerala in the years 1980 ,[ 4] 1987 ,[ 5] 1996 ,[ 6] 2006 ,[ 7] 2016 [ 8] and had a historic re-election in 2021 [ 9] where an incumbent government was re-elected for first time in 40 years.[ 10] LDF has won 6 out of 10 elections since the formation of the alliance in 1980. The alliance consists of CPI(M) , CPI and various smaller parties.[ 11]
LDF has been in power in the State Legislature of Kerala under E. K. Nayanar (1980–1981, 1987–1991, 1996–2001),[ 12] V. S. Achuthanandan (2006–2011),[ 13] Pinarayi Vijayan (2016–current).[ 14] E. K. Nayanar served as the Chief Minister of Kerala for 11 years and later became the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala .[ 15]
The alliance led by Pinarayi Vijayan returned to power in 2016 Assembly Election winning 91 out of 140 seats and further increasing its tally to 99 seats in the 2021 Assembly Election . Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full term (five years) in office after a historic election in 2021 where an incumbent government was re-elected for the first time in 40 years.[ 16]
History
Early years (1957–1979)
1st cabinet ministry of Kerala led by E. M. S. Namboodiripad (1957)
The political scenario in Kerala (1957–1980) was characterized by continually shifting alliances, party mergers and splits, factionalism within the coalitions and within political parties, and the formation of a numerous splinter groups.[ 17] 1957 Kerala Legislative Assembly election was the first assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala. The Communist Party of India won the election with 60 seats. The election led to the formation of first democratically elected communist government in India. A Communist -led government under E. M. S. Namboodiripad resulted from the first elections for the new Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957, making him the first communist leader in India to head a popularly elected government.[ 18] [ 19] It was the second ever Communist government to be democratically elected, after Communist success in the 1945 elections in the Republic of San Marino , a microstate in Europe .[ 20] [ 21] The coalition politics of Kerala began with second election held to the state legislative assembly in 1960.[ 17] The Communist Party of India (Marxist) first came into power in Kerala in 1967, under Seven party front , which was an alliance of CPI(M), CPI , IUML , and four other parties.[ 22] In 1970's, the major political parties in the state were unified under two major coalitions, one of them led by Indian National Congress and Communist Party of India and the other by CPI(M) .
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, two main pre-poll political alliances were formed: the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress .[ 17] These pre-poll political alliances of Kerala have stabilized strongly in such a manner that, with rare exceptions, most of the coalition partners stick their loyalty to the respective alliances (Left Democratic Front or United Democratic Front).
Left Democratic Front (1980–present)
2nd Nayanar Ministry (1987)
LDF first came into power in 1980 election under the leadership of E. K. Nayanar sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala on 26 March 1980[ 23] for the first time in 1980. He formed government with the support of Congress (A) under A. K. Antony and Kerala Congress under K. M. Mani , Nayanar later became the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala , ever since 1980 election , the power has been clearly alternating between the two alliances till the 2016 .[ 17] LDF has won 6 out of 10 elections since the formation of the alliance in 1980. Since 1980, none of alliances in Kerala has been re-elected till the 2016 . The 1987 , 1996 elections led E. K. Nayanar , and the 2006 elections led by V. S. Achuthanandan formed governments and completed their full terms but were not re-elected. In 2016, LDF won the 2016 election led by Pinarayi Vijayan and had a historic re-election in 2021 election where an incumbent government was re-elected for first time in 40 years. Pinarayi Vijayan is the first Chief minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full term (five years) in office.[ 16]
List of LDF Conveners
Current members
Non Member Supporters [ 27] [ 28]
Chief ministers
List of chief ministers from Left Democratic Front in Kerala (1980–present)
List of chief ministers from parties of Left Democratic Front (1957-1980)
List of political alliances of Kerala in power (1980–present)
Political alliance
Total days in governance
Number of Chief ministers
1
LDF
8849 days
3
2
UDF
7,295 days
3
Electoral history
Kerala Legislative Assembly elections
Vote share in consecutive Kerala Assembly elections
1982
47.25%
1987
44.97%
1991
45.88%
1996
45.88%
2001
43.70%
2006
48.63%
2011
44.94%
2016
43.48%
2021
45.43%
Assembly election result by alliance
Election
Seats won
Ruling Coalition
Majority
LDF
UDF
Others
1980
93
46
1
LDF
47
1982
63
77
0
UDF
14
1987
78
61
1
LDF
17
1991
48
90
2
UDF
40
1996
80
59
1
LDF
21
2001
40
99
1
UDF
59
2006
98
42
0
LDF
56
2011
68
72
0
UDF
4
2016
91
47
2
LDF
44
2021
99
41
0
LDF
58
Indian General Elections (Loksabha)
Performance of Left Democratic Front, Kerala in Loksabha elections
Election Year
Legislature
Seats won / contested
Change in seats
Total votes
Per. of votes
Change in vote %
Ref.
1980
7th Lok Sabha
10
N/A
N/A
N/A
[ 29]
1984
8th Lok Sabha
8
4,607,568
42.24%
N/A
[ 30] [ 31]
1989
9th Lok Sabha
1
6,370,627
42.93%
0.70%
[ 32]
1991
10th Lok Sabha
1
6,446,253
44.28%
1.35%
[ 33] [ 34]
1996
11th Lok Sabha
6
6,469,266
44.87%
0.59%
[ 35]
1998
12th Lok Sabha
1
6,628,189
44.55%
0.32%
[ 36]
1999
13th Lok Sabha
6,713,244
43.70%
0.85%
[ 37]
2004
14th Lok Sabha
9
6,962,151
46.15%
2.45%
[ 38]
2009
15th Lok Sabha
14
6,717,418
41.89%
4.26%
[ 39]
2014
16th Lok Sabha
4
7,211,257
40.12%
1.77%
[ 40]
2019
17th Lok Sabha
7
7,156,387
36.29%
3.83%
[ 41]
2024
18th Lok Sabha
6,590,526
33.34%
2.95%
In Kerala Municipal Corporations
List of elected members
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The LDF is the ruling alliance in Kerala which has 99 seats out of the 140 in the Kerala Niyamasabha .
Map of Kerala showing 2021 State Legislative Assembly Election Results
The following list shows the MLAs belonging to LDF in the Niyamasabha.
Key
CPI(M)
CPI
KC(M)
JD(S)
LJD
NCP
INL
KC(B)
Cong(S)
RSP(L)
NSC
Independent
Rajya Sabha
Keys:
CPI(M) (3)
CPI (2)
KC(M) (1)
Lok Sabha
CPI(M) (1)
Kerala local body elections
The Left Democratic Front (LDF), who also forms the state government , won in more than half of all gram panchayats and block panchayats , two-thirds of district panchayats and in five out of six municipal corporations .
2020 Kerala local elections
Local self-government body
Local Bodies in lead
Total
LDF
UDF
Others
Tie
Gram Panchayats
514
321
42
64
941
Block Panchayats
108
38
0
6
152
District Panchayats
11
3
0
0 [ g]
14
Municipalities
43
41
2
0 [ h]
86
Corporations
5
1
0
0
6
2015 Kerala local elections
Local self-government body
Local Bodies won
Total
LDF
UDF
NDA
Others
Gram Panchayats
549
365
14
13
941
Block Panchayats
90
61
0
1
152
District Panchayats
7
7
0
0
14
Municipalities
44
41
1
0
87
Corporations
4
2
0
0
6
Political activism
On 7 December 2011, the LDF organized a 208 km human wall demanding the construction of a new dam in place of the present 115-year leaky dam at Mullapperiyar. The human wall was the second-longest of the kind in Kerala which stretched across two districts.[ 44]
LDF launched its website ahead of 2011 Kerala Assembly Election.[ 45]
See also
Notes
^ A number in parentheses indicates that the incumbent has previously held office
^ Year in parentheses indicates life span
^ This column only names the chief minister's party. The state government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; these are not listed here.
^ A number in parentheses indicates that the incumbent has previously held office
^ Year in parentheses indicates life span
^ This column only names the chief minister's party. The state government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; these are not listed here.
^ The ties were later resolved, LDF now control 11 and UDF controls 3 district panchayats. Refer Aftermath section
^ The ties were later resolved and LDF now control 43 municipalities and UDF controls 41. Refer Aftermath section
References
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