Left leaders have advised a programme-based ideological alliance, pointing to Kerala as a model, and said such a political formation would take shape in due course.

CPM central committee member K Balabarathi, in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, said the pain and disappointment voiced by party cadres deeply affected her. While acknowledging that some fluctuations were inevitable in seat-sharing negotiations, she said the current outcome has caused significant distress among Left workers.

She pointed out that even within the numbers allotted to parties such as the DMDK, Congress and VCK, the CPM has not been adequately accommodated. Noting that the DMDK had expressed willingness to forgo a few constituencies in the interest of alliance unity, she questioned why the DMK leadership didn't take into account such inputs or the CPM’s repeated objections to the proposed allocation.

Referring to remarks that the DMK safeguards Left ideology, she asked why only the Left parties faced a reduction in seats. She also highlighted that the Makkal Needhi Maiam had extended full support to the alliance without contesting, adding that all parties, though independent, were integral to the coalition.

Describing the emotional toll on cadres, she said many were more distressed over the current developments than even personal losses. She underlined the selfless nature of Left activists, who she said consistently stood at the forefront of public struggles without seeking personal gain. The issue, she added, went beyond numbers and raised broader questions about whether the Left was being marginalised within the alliance.

Echoing similar concerns, CPI leader and Tirupur MP K Subbarayan, in a post, said there was deep unease within party ranks over the reduced seat share, a sentiment also reflected among sections of the public and the media on social media.