Thiruvananthapuram: The State Secretariat of the CPM has expressed strong reservation about the failure of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituents to win the Pala and Kalpetta constituencies in the recent Kerala Assembly Election.
The Secretariat felt that the election campaigning should have been carried out in these two constituencies as if the CPM candidates were in the fray. The party also observed that defeat in two sitting seats had adversely affected the credibility of the CPM as it heads the political alliance.
The strong criticism witnessed at the top-level meet gave enough indication that the state leadership of the party might directly probe the defeat of Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani in Pala and Loktantrik Janata Dal state president M V Shreyams Kumar in Kalpetta. A decision regarding the matter would be taken after hearing out the views of party representatives from these districts at the two-day state committee meeting which begins today.
The Secretariat expressed doubts whether the CPM had pulled out all its strength and resources to put up the fight in a constituency like Pala. The leadership suspects erosion of party votes in the constituency.
Two other seats
Action is likely to be taken against those found responsible for the defeat of party candidates in sitting seats of Kundara and Thripunnithura. The defeat of constituents in Pala and Kalpetta would also be given equal importance.
The CPM is planning to examine in detail the LDF performance in constituencies where the front candidates faced defeat or drop in vote share. The party plans to initiate steps to ensure victory in these seats in future.
The CPM leadership observed that Kerala Congress (M) decision to leave UDF and join LDF and LJD decision to return to the ruling front helped in assembly polls in the same manner as it did during the local body polls.
On success in Pathanamthitta
The party Secretariat also concluded that the Christian votes that came into the LDF kitty with the entry of the Kerala Congress (M) in to the political grouping, proved decisive in its victory in five constituencies in Pathanamthitta district.
Shifting minority votes
At the same time the party is yet to conclude that minority votes had shifted towards the LDF permanently. However the CPM wants to take steps henceforth to ensure that the vacillating minority votes stayed with the front.
On UDF, BJP
The Secretariat also observed that though the opposition United Democratic Front had suffered a huge electoral defeat, as an Opposition front they cannot be viewed as a non-entity.
The party at the same time felt that it succeeded in preventing BJP's surge in the state. Even though the BJP had some strongholds, the weak leadership of that party was exposed during the elections. NDA front was existing just on papers.
After the elections the attempts to attack the LDF using central agencies had slowed down or weakened. This has also exposed the real political motive of the BJP before the people, the CPM leaders observed.
The Secretariat assessed that the daily press conferences addressed by the chief minister during the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 connected the government and LDF well with the people.
Pinarayi's achievement
The CPM Secretariat observed that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had achieved what successive Left governments since 1957 had aimed for. The LDF victory in the 2021 state polls ended the well-established pattern of governments alternating after elections every five years.
The manner in which the government faced back-to-back floods and the COVID-19 pandemic increased its acceptance among the people, the top meet noted.
