Assembly poll loss: CPM review meetings to begin Tuesday in Kerala, politburo talks continue

The CPM will kick off meetings at various levels of leadership across the state in the coming days to review the party’s poor performance in the Kerala Assembly elections, even as politburo discussions continue in Delhi for the second day on Monday.

Following the election results, CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that the state secretariat would not take a unanimous call, but would listen to party workers from top to bottom. It has been learned that Govindan submitted a report on the poll defeat on Sunday, which will be discussed in detail at the CPM central committee meeting scheduled for later this month. The report is expected to examine organisational weaknesses, issues related to campaigns and the party’s declining connection with cadres at the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam strongly asserted his party’s claim to the deputy leader of the opposition post. “Certain precedents have to change,” Viswam said, referring to the practice of the CPM holding both the opposition leader and deputy parliamentary leader posts. “It is not mandatory that both posts should be held by one party. This should change. It will,” he said. He also said that idealising individuals is not a good trait and that it should be discouraged.

Speaking to the media after the meeting on Sunday, CPM general secretary M A Baby said the party has not yet taken a decision on the Leader of Opposition post in the Kerala Assembly. Speculation remains over whether Pinarayi Vijayan himself will take up the post. Senior leaders K N Balagopal, Saji Cherian and P A Mohammed Riyas are also being discussed as possible candidates for the post.

As part of the review process, meetings of the state secretariat will begin on Tuesday, while the state committee will meet on May 13 and 14. The discussions will later continue at the district and area committee levels, with the entire organisational review expected to be completed by June 10. According to reports, issues raised in the state secretariat include failures in candidate selection in several constituencies and the party leadership’s inability to effectively intervene when senior leaders turned defectors.

Internal unrest
Meanwhile, signs of internal unrest have emerged in Palakkad and Alappuzha districts. In Palakkad, 24 party members, including two branch secretaries, have reportedly resigned following differences within the district leadership. The resignations are linked to the demotion of area committee member and Palakkad municipal councillor Abdul Shukkoor, who had allegedly criticised district secretary E N Suresh Babu during a meeting.

Dissident members have accused the district leadership of sidelining cadres and ignoring demands for accountability after the election defeat. Reports also suggest that the group is planning a convention later this month for workers dissatisfied with the leadership’s functioning.