The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the other being Congress-led UDF, each of which has been in power alternately for the last four decades. LDF has won the elections to the State Legislature of Kerala in the years 1980, 1987, 1996, 2006, 2016 and had a historic re-election in 2021 where an incumbent government was re-elected for first time in 40 years. The alliance consists of CPI(M), CPI, KC(M), NCP, JD(S), LJD, INL, and various smaller parties.
LDF has been in power in the State Legislature of Kerala under E. K. Nayanar (1980–1981, 1987–1991, 1996–2001), V. S. Achuthanandan (2006–2011), Pinarayi Vijayan (2016–current). E. K. Nayanar served as the Chief Minister of Kerala for 11 years and later became the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala.
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.
AKG Centre, Thiruvananthapuram – Headquarters of LDF
History
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. The coalition politics of Kerala began with second election held to the state legislative assembly in 1960. 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. 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. 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).
LDF first came into power in Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1980 under the leadership of E. K. Nayanar who 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. In 2016, LDF won the 2016 election 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.
Current members
| No. | Party |
|---|---|
| 1 | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
| 2 | Communist Party of India |
| 3 | Janata Dal (Secular) |
| 4 | Nationalist Congress Party |
| 5 | Loktantrik Janata Dal |
| 6 | Kerala Congress (B) |
| 7 | Indian National League |
| 8 | Congress (Secular) |
| 9 | Janadhipathya Kerala Congress |
| 10 | Kerala Congress (Skaria Thomas) |
| 11 | Kerala Congress (M) |
Chief Ministers
-
E. K. Nayanar (1980 – 1981, 1987 – 1991, 1996 – 2001)
-
V. S. Achuthanandan (2006–2011)
-
Pinarayi Vijayan (2016 – incumbent)
List of Chief Ministers by length of term
| № | Name (Ministry) |
Length of term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longest continuous term | Total years of premiership | ||
| 1 | E. K. Nayanar 1st Nayanar 2nd Nayanar 3rd Nayanar |
5 years, 27 days | 11 years, 10 days |
| 2 | V. S. Achuthanandan Achuthanandan |
4 years, 364 days | 4 years, 364 days |
| 3 | Pinarayi Vijayan 1st Pinarayi 2nd Pinarayi |
5 years, 269 days | 5 years, 269 days |
Kerala Assembly Election results
| Election | Leader | Seats won | Change | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | E. K. Nayanar |
93 / 140 |
New | Government |
| 1982 |
63 / 140 |
 30 |
Opposition | |
| 1987 |
78 / 140 |
 15 |
Government | |
| 1991 |
48 / 140 |
42 |
Opposition | |
| 1996 |
80 / 140 |
32 |
Government | |
| 2001 | V. S. Achuthanandan |
40 / 140 |
40 |
Opposition |
| 2006 |
98 / 140 |
58 |
Government | |
| 2011 |
68 / 140 |
30 |
Opposition | |
| 2016 | Pinarayi Vijayan |
91 / 140 |
23 |
Government |
| 2021 |
99 / 140 |
8 |
Government |
Electoral history
| 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 | 59 |
List of LDF MLAs in the Kerala Niyamasabha 2021
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
| No. | Party | Current No. of MLAs in Assembly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 62 |
| 2 | Communist Party of India | 17 |
| 3 | Kerala Congress (M) | 5 |
| 4 | Nationalist Congress Party | 2 |
| 5 | Janata Dal (Secular) | 2 |
| 6 | Kerala Congress (B) | 1 |
| 7 | Indian National League | 1 |
| 8 | Congress (Secular) | 1 |
| 9 | Loktantrik Janata Dal | 1 |
| 10 | Janadhipathya Kerala Congress | 1 |
| 11 | National Secular Conference | 1 |
| 12 | LDF Supported Independents | 5 |
| Total Seats | 99 |
The following list shows the MLAs belonging to LDF in the Niyamasabha.
Key
CPI(M) CPI JD(S) NCP Cong(S) KC(B) RSP(L) INL NSC Independent KC(M)
| Sl.no | Constituency | Name of the elected MLA |
Party affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasaragod district | |||
| 1 | Udma | C. H. Kunhambu | CPI(M) |
| 2 | Kanhangad | E. Chandrasekharan | CPI |
| 3 | Thrikaripur | M. Rajagopalan | CPI(M) |
| Kannur district | |||
| 4 | Payyanur | T. I. Madusoodhanan | CPI(M) |
| 5 | Kalliasseri | M.Vijin | CPI(M) |
| 6 | Taliparamba | M.V Govindan Master | CPI(M) |
| 7 | Kannur | Kadannappalli Ramachandran | Cong (S) |
| 8 | Dharmadom | Pinarayi Vijayan | CPI(M) |
| 9 | Thalassery | A. N. Shamseer | CPI(M) |
| 10 | Kuthuparamba | K.P Mohanan | LJD |
| 11 | Mattanur | K. K. Shailaja | CPI(M) |
| 12 | Azhikode | K.V Sumesh | CPI(M) |
| Wayanad district | |||
| 13 | Mananthavady | O. R. Kelu | CPI(M) |
| Kozhikode district | |||
| 14 | Nadapuram | E. K. Vijayan | CPI |
| 15 | Koyilandy | Kanathil Jameela | CPI(M) |
| 16 | Perambra | T. P. Ramakrishnan | CPI(M) |
| 17 | Balussery | K.M Sachin Dev | CPI(M) |
| 18 | Elathur | A. K. Saseendran | NCP |
| 19 | Kozhikode North | Thottathil Raveendran | CPI(M) |
| 20 | Beypore | P.A Muhammed Riyas | CPI(M) |
| 21 | Kunnamangalam | P. T. A. Rahim | Independent |
| 22 | Kozhikode | Ahamed Devarkovil | INL |
| 23 | Thiruvambady | Linto Joseph | CPI(M) |
| 24 | Kuttiyadi | K.P Kunhammad Kutty | CPI(M) |
| Malappuram district | |||
| 25 | Nilambur | P. V. Anvar | Independent |
| 26 | Tanur | V. Abdurahiman | NSC |
| 27 | Thavanur | K.T. Jaleel | Independent |
| 28 | Ponnani | P.Nandakumar | CPI(M) |
| Palakkad district | |||
| 29 | Pattambi | Muhammed Muhsin | CPI |
| 30 | Shornur | P Mammikutty | CPI(M) |
| 31 | Ottapalam | K.Premkumar | CPI(M) |
| 32 | Kongad | K.Shanthakumari | CPI(M) |
| 33 | Malampuzha | A Prabhakaran | CPI(M) |
| 34 | Tarur | P.P Sumod | CPI(M) |
| 35 | Chittur | K. Krishnankutty | JD(S) |
| 36 | Nenmara | K. Babu | CPI(M) |
| 37 | Alathur | K. D. Prasenan | CPI(M) |
| 38 | Thrithala | M.B Rajesh | CPI(M) |
| Thrissur district | |||
| 39 | Chelakkara | K Radhakrishnan | CPI(M) |
| 40 | Wadakkanchery | Xavier Chittilappilly | CPI(M) |
| 41 | Kunnamkulam | A. C. Moideen | CPI(M) |
| 42 | Guruvayur | N.K Akbar | CPI(M) |
| 43 | Manalur | Murali Perunelli | CPI(M) |
| 44 | Ollur | K. Rajan | CPI |
| 45 | Thrissur | P Balachandran | CPI |
| 46 | Nattika | C.C Mukundan | CPI |
| 47 | Kaipamangalam | E. T. Tyson | CPI |
| 48 | Irinjalakuda | R Bindhu | CPI(M) |
| 49 | Puthukkad | K.K Ramachandran | CPI(M) |
| 51 | Kodungallur | V. R. Sunil Kumar | CPI |
| Ernakulam district | |||
| 52 | Vypeen | K.N Unnikrishnan | CPI(M) |
| 53 | Kalamasseri | P.Rajeev | CPI(M) |
| 54 | Kochi | K. J. Maxi | CPI(M) |
| 55 | Kothamangalam | Antony John | CPI(M) |
| 56 | Kunnathunadu | P.V Sreenijan | CPI(M) |
| Idukki district | |||
| 57 | Devikulam | A Raja | CPI(M) |
| 58 | Udumbanchola | M. M. Mani | CPI(M) |