Kollam (Kerala), Aug 7 (IANS): The Left can counter the growing influence of "communal forces" only by joining hands with the Congress, a senior leader of a former ally of the Left in Kerala said on Friday.

T.J. Chandrachoodan, the all India secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), made the remark while inaugurating his party's state conference here.

"To counter the growing influence of communal forces, the only way for the Left parties is to cooperate with the Congress," he said.

For close to three decades, the RSP in Kerala was an ally of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

But ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it joined the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

Subsequently, a faction of the RSP (B) already in the UDF led by Kerala Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John merged with the Chandrachoodan-led RSP.

One reason why Chandrachoodan left the Left front was the CPI-M's denial of a Lok Sabha seat to the RSP. The Congress gave its Kollam Lok Sabha seat to the RSP, which won it.

"The LDF in Kerala has been destroyed by the arrogance of the (former) CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

"It was his arrogance that led to a few parties leaving the LDF. Barring the CPI, his game was to split the LDF allies," Chandrachoodan said.