Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), which is a part of Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), Sunday slammed the induction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the alliance.

Addressing reporters here, RSP state chief V.P. Ramakrishnan Pillai said that the party has always been against the induction of the NCP.

"For the past few years we have been leading a series of protests against the price hike in rice, kerosene and other food items," he said. Till date NCP chief Sharad Pawar (the union minister for agriculture) has done nothing to address this issue and today, how can we join hands with his party's state unit?" asked Pillai.

Following the induction of the NCP Wednesday, the LDF now includes the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the Communist Party of India, the RSP, the Kerala Congress, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Congress-S and the NCP.

The NCP in Kerala has two legislators - A.K. Saseendran and cash rich non-resident Keralite businessman Thomas Chandy.

The NCP was an ally of the LDF till 2006 when the father-son duo of K. Karunakaran and K. Muraleedharan merged their Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran (DIC-K) with the NCP.

Soon after the merger took place, the NCP was booted out of the LDF.

The decision to reinduct the NCP was first cleared by the CPI-M politburo at its meeting in Delhi last week.

Pillai attacked the NCP's inclusion after Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Saturday said that the strategy of Pawar's party to align with the Congress in some states and to oppose it in some states was not acceptable.

"We will see that this decision to include the NCP as an ally is taken up for discussion in the LDF at its next meeting. This decision is a serious loss of face for the LDF," said Pillai.

Meanwhile veteran NCP state leader and former minister A.C. Shanmughadas played down Achuthanandan's statement.

"Our strategy is very clear and that is to oppose both the Congress and the BJP and we have not made any dilution to that. In Kerala, our strategy is to join hands with the Left to oppose the Congress," said Shanmughadas.

The game plan of the CPI-M was to accommodate the NCP ahead of the civic polls likely to take place in September.