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. 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. 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. 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.
Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi is a political party in the Indian state of Kerala. The party was formed in 1994 when the CPI(M) leader K.R. Gowri Amma was expelled from Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Kerala Congress (Joseph) [Abbr. KEC(J)] was a political party in the Indian state of Kerala. It was formed in 1964. KEC(J) was the breakaway fraction of Kerala Congress. The party merged with Kerala Congress (KEC).
Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala in October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. Initially its main support came from the Syrian Christians and the Nair community of southern Kerala.
Palathinal Joseph Joseph is an Indian politician from Kerala Congress serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Thodupuzha Assembly Constituency in Kerala.
Kerala Congress (Mani) or KEC(M) is a state-level political party in the Indian state of Kerala, currently led by chairman Jose K. Mani. It was formed by K. M. Mani in 1979, after a split from the Kerala Congress. They are part of the LDF since October 2020.
K. Francis George is an Indian politician who is a member of the Kerala Congress. He is presently a member of 18th Lok Sabha representing Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency. He was a member of the 13th and the 14th Lok Sabha, representing Idukki constituency of Kerala. He was formerly a leader of the Kerala Congress (M) and that of his former party Janadhipathya Kerala Congress.
Kerala Congress (Jacob) is a regional political party in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a faction of Kerala Congress founded by the former minister the late T. M. Jacob who has held portfolios like Education, Irrigation, Culture and Civil Supplies in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Kannoth Muraleedharan is an Indian National Congress politician. He was the MP from Vatakara, Kerala. He lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Thrissur constituency. He is the son of Congress leader K. Karunakaran. He was elected as an MP from Kozhikode constituency and from Vatakara constituency (2019). He was elected as an MLA from Vattiyoorkkavu constituency.
Kerala Congress (Secular) is a registered regional political party in the Indian state of Kerala. It was a faction of Kerala Congress led by P. C. George, Eapen Varghese, and T. S. John. The party was split from Kerala Congress (M). It had been revived by T.S. John.
Kerala Congress (B) [Abbr. KEC(B)] is a registered political party in Kerala, formed by R. Balakrishna Pillai, a former minister of the government of Kerala. At present, the party has one MLA in the state Legislative Assembly, namely K. B. Ganesh Kumar, a well-known film actor and son of R. Balakrishna Pillai, who has been representing the Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam District since 2001. The KEC(B) is the part of LDF.
Jose Karingozhackal Mani is an Indian politician and MP and former MP from Kerala. He is the son of veteran politician K. M. Mani and the Chairman of Kerala Congress (M).
Plathottathil Chacko George is an Indian politician representing the BJP. George is a seven-time and ex MLA of the Poonjar constituency in the Kottayam district of Kerala state (1982-87) and (1996-2021). He was in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for 33 years. After the legislative election 2016, he created his own party named as Kerala Janapaksham (Secular). Formerly, he was the member of political parties like KC, KC(J), KC(M) and KC(S).
Kerala Congress (Thomas) or Thomas Group was a political party since 2015 to 2016 and a Kerala Congress Fraction Led by P. C. Thomas from 2016 to 2021.
Antony Raju is an Indian politician and was in office as Minister for Road Transport, Motor Vehicles, Water Transport till 24 December 2023, Government of Kerala. He is the leader of Janadhipathya Kerala Congress. He was elected to the Kerala legislative assembly from Thiruvananthapuram Constituency of Kerala in 2021. Earlier he was the MLA of Thiruvananthapuram West Constituency from 1996 to 2001.
Kerala's major political parties are aligned under two coalitions, namely the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) since the late 1970s. Kerala was the first Indian state to have coalition government as early as 1961 .
The elections to the Eighth Kerala Assembly were held on March 23, 1987. The UDF and the LDF were the two major political fronts in the arena. The UDF had the INC(I), IUML, KC(J), KC(M), NDP (P), SRP(S) and the RSP(S) as its constituents. The LDF consisted of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP, IC(S), Janata Party and the Lok Dal.
Elections were held on 1980 January 3 and 5 to elect members to the sixth Niyamasabha. This election saw the formation of two pre-poll alliances, viz. LDF and UDF, most of whose constituent parties were part of the erstwhile United Front. CPI(M)-led LDF to win the election, after winning 93 seats altogether. E. K. Nayanar was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 26 March 1980
The 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election was held in Kerala on 6 April 2021 to elect 140 members to the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. The results were declared on 2 May.
The Kerala Congress (KEC) has suffered severe divisions and several factions, and a number of parties have emerged over the years, all claiming the name Kerala Congress in various times in its history. Factions include KEC under P. J. Joseph, KEC(M) under Jose K. Mani, KEC(B) under K. B. Ganesh Kumar, and KEC(J) under Anoop Jacob.
