Thiruvananthapuram: In a post-poll assessment following its setback in the local body elections, the CPM has acknowledged serious organisational weaknesses, including inactive cadres, flawed candidate selection and a growing disconnect with voters.

"The election has made it clear that several branches and local committees are extremely weak. A large number of party members remain inactive. In several areas, the practice of directly meeting voters and engaging with them has almost been abandoned," the State Committee admitted in its review report.

The report also expresses grave concern that candidate selection was reduced to little more than an internal sharing of positions among the party committee members. It also alleges that individuals viewed with suspicion by society were fielded as candidates.

Owing to these shortcomings, the party failed to gauge public mood and societal shifts. The State Committee has now directed its lower-level units to urgently address and rectify these weaknesses ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Drifting away from people
The very essence of election work, which involves engaging with people, clearing their doubts, turning them into party voters and ensuring they reach the polling booths, was largely forgotten. In many places, even minimal efforts to bring voters to the polling stations were missing.

There were lapses in updating the voter list as well, with even prominent party workers finding their names missing. Engagement with households was limited to the routine distribution of notices and slips.

Questions over candidate selection
In many places, candidates were not selected in a manner that inspired public confidence. Flaws in the selection process led to the emergence of rebel candidates.

The State Committee's directive to prioritise youth and individuals with broad public acceptance was not implemented effectively. As a result, the public came to perceive that the CPM lacked capable leaders to head local bodies.

Flak for local bodies, praise for state government
According to the report, serious allegations were raised against CPM led local bodies and their elected representatives. The party committees concerned failed to properly examine or address allegations of corruption, the accumulation of disproportionate assets, and the lack of development, shortcomings that contributed to the electoral defeat.

At the same time, the State Committee maintained that there was no significant anti-government sentiment. Instead, it found shortcomings in publicising the state government's achievements and in effectively countering campaigns directed against it.