Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, which suffered a massive humiliation in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, has decided to implement periodic organisational changes to win back the support of the populace, as it hit out at the "anti-people stand of RSS-BJP."

The party units - from the state committee to branch level - would undergo a transformation.

Congress failed to resist RSS

State secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kodiyeri Balakrishanan, who met the media after the state committee meet here, said the main opposition party in the country, the Congress, was unable to counter the "anti-people" governance of the RSS and BJP.

"The Congress leaders are being threatened. They are unable to put up a strong opposition against the anti-people stand of the RSS-BJP. Even the chief whip had resigned from Rajya Sabha recently."

On the other hand, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Jharna Das had given a strong reply to (Home minister) Amit Shah, who reportedly asked her to join BJP, he said.

"She said she will oppose communalism till her last breath. The Left is putting forward an alternative politics that will not succumb to the RSS threats," Kodiyeri said.

Kodiyeri was talking to reporters after a week-long meeting of the CPI(M) state committee, deliberating on ways to improve its public image.

'Gain public support'

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan admitted that the party has lost the popularity it enjoyed among the masses.

"The style of functioning of the party units should change. They should interact with the masses more freely. Even the allies should strive to increase the public support," Kodiyeri said.

Kodiyeri called out for his party workers and leaders to stand with the people.

"The party should not work as centres of power, nor should workers engage in violence. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) workers should function in accordance to the calls for development and peace," he added.

"The party members will be strictly asked not to engage in any violence. The violence by the left is being discussed widely but the violent acts of other political parties are being ignored by the media," Kodiyeri said.

The CPI(M) leader further said that the governance must be efficient and quick, and that the ministers should solely focus on the administrative matters.

He also said the good governance model put forward by the Pinarayi Vijayan government has been a success and has got a good impact among the people of the state.

Curtail communalism

He claimed that in Kerala, communal forces belonging to both the majority and the minority communities were threatening the secular fabric of the state.

"It's clear that both Muslim terrorism and Hindu terrorism are strengthening in the state threatening to destroy the secular fabric here. The Left party will fight such forces along with those who believe in democracy and secularism," the leader said.

Sabarimala women's entry

Kodiyeri also said that his party would strive to correct the misconstrued notions over Sabarimala women's entry.

The CPI(M) has reportedly decided not aggressively work for women's entry at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. The party has decided to respect the emotions of the faithful.

Even though the party is not changing its stance on Sabarimala women's entry, it has decided against actively campaigning for it. This decision was also included in the records of the meeting.

Both the CPI(M) and the LDF government had tried to implement the Supreme Court order of September 2018 that allowed women of all age groups to enter the hill shrine. However, this led to massive protests in the state that was spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And the LDF suffered one of the biggest setbacks in the Lok Sabha polls this year.

The temple row was said to be one of the reasons that led to the massive loss.

After a marathon discussion that went on for six days, the party members called for a course correction over the Sabarimala issue. The growth of the BJP is another cause for concern for the CPI(M).

The party has also instructed the workers to more actively take part in temple administrations and to refrain from making any statements that might hurt the faithful.