Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The ongoing tussle between the CPI and CPM over the post of Opposition Deputy Leader in the Kerala Assembly has escalated into an open confrontation, with CPM leaders publicly questioning the size and political influence of their Left ally.

The latest attack came from CPM state secretariat member N Mohanan, who questioned whether the CPI could secure even 5,000 votes in Assembly constituencies with around two lakh voters.

In a Facebook post, Mohanan accused the CPI of repeatedly resorting to pressure tactics and said the party's position appeared to be that the CPM should tolerate such tactics in the name of Left unity.

He also criticised the CPI's opposition to the government's PM SHRI education scheme during the previous local body elections.

“PM SHRI was their weapon in the last local body elections. They attacked from within and embarrassed the government. The Assembly election defeat was also a continuation of that,” Mohanan said.

He further argued that the CPI was seeking the Opposition Deputy Leader's post by violating established conventions and claimed the party had no grounds to demand the position through pressure tactics.

Mohanan also recalled the CPI's past political alliance with the Congress, while CPM state committee member V Sivankutty had separately criticised the CPI, alleging that it had a history of joining hands with the Congress for positions.

Sivankutty also said Pinarayi Vijayan was right in his assessment of the Opposition Deputy Leader issue.

The dispute intensified after Vijayan said at a press conference that he only needed to submit a letter to the Speaker for the CPM to secure the post of Opposition Deputy Leader, implying that the position would go to a CPM legislator.

The remark angered the CPI, with its assistant secretary Sathyan Mokeri writing a strongly worded article in the party mouthpiece. The article criticised Vijayan and accused him of projecting an attitude that everything revolved around him.