THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The new found closeness between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by Abdul Nasir Maudany, is the topic of war of words between Kerala’s rival fronts.

State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala Monday said the CPI-M is now practising ‘Maudanism’ and not ‘Marxism’.

‘We are really ashamed that the CPI-M is now getting ready for the disintegration of the LDF (Left Democratic Front) to accommodate Maudany. Two of their allies the CPI (Communist Party of India) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party are in the dark about the new found ally PDP,’ Chennithala told reporters.

The PDP in the 2001 assembly polls had supported the Congress-led United Democratic Front.

CPI-M central committee member E.P. Jayarajan rubbished reports rift in the ruling LDF.

‘Chennithala is saying rubbish because he is ignorant of what is happening. No ally of the LDF has any problems and in fact it has been welcomed,’ said Jayarajan.

On Saturday CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan shared the dais in Malapuram district with Maudany, whom the Left considered a pariah not too long ago.

In 1998, then chief minister E.K. Nayanar had listed as one his government’s achievements the arrest of Maudany for his alleged involvement in serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore in October 1996 targeting Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani.

Maudany was subsequently acquitted and released from jail in 2007.

PDP working chairman Poonthura Siraj Monday said that Congress leader A.K. Anthony had hugged him when the 2001 assembly results came and had thanked Maudany who was in jail then.

‘But Vijayan is totally a different political leader and one who does a lot of analysis before taking a decision. So if he decides to hug us, we can never get away from that, it would be so tight,’ Siraj told reporters.

Leader of opposition and Congress leader Oommen Chandy told reporters at Thrissur that PDP was a ‘communal outfit’ and this new found relationship with the CPI-M will not have the ‘approval of the people’.