India, March 24 -- Kerala votes on April 9, and political parties have been quick to announce their lineups. What is unusual this time is the high presence, by Kerala standards, of turncoats in the candidate lists. This should be particularly disturbing for the ruling Left Democratic Front: Two former CPI MLAs and a former CPM MLA, joined the BJP when denied seats (all three are now BJP candidates); two others are contesting as candidates of the Congress-led United Democratic Front; and besides these five, two senior CPM functionaries, in the party's red fort of Kannur, rebelled against the party and joined the fray as independents (they are now backed by the UDF). Parties splitting and/or shifting alliances are not unusual in Kerala's coalition politics, but the kind of party hopping among politicians visible in this election season is unusual. For instance, former Communist legislators joining the BJP over the denial of seats has almost no precedence in Kerala. Such a dilution of ideological fidelity suggests multiple undercurrents. One, politics has become more transactional. Elections have become expensive, and parties love candidates who can mobilise material resources. Two, political parties are more focussed on the winnability of candidates rather than their commitment to ideology or party. Three, the party system has broken down. Ambitious individual politicians are increasingly willing to pursue personal goals instead of staying obedient party members. This trend is triggering rebellion in parties. Enterprising politicians recognise that the electorate does not see ideological clarity or political fidelity as an asset. Four, the BJP is finding cross-community acceptance and has been successful in attracting leaders from other parties. That's the new Kerala story in the making....