Shamseer flags candidate selection errors, says CPM failed to counter Vellappally

Malappuram: In a rare display of public introspection, CPM leader and former Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer has acknowledged that the party made several mistakes in the run-up to the recently held Assembly elections, saying the CPM has conducted a detailed self-criticism to understand the reasons behind its defeat.

Speaking at the Kunjali commemoration function at Kalikavu in Malappuram on Wednesday night, Shamseer said the party had openly examined its shortcomings after the election setback. He admitted that the selection of candidates in Payyanur and Thaliparamba had gone wrong and cited it as one of the issues identified during the review.

Shamseer also referred to the controversy surrounding comments made by SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan against Malappuram. He said the CPM had defended the statements by Vellappally Natesan at the time, but conceded that the party's response lacked strength and conviction.

Addressing another issue, Shamseer said the party had also reviewed the controversy over the Ayyappa Sangamam. Although the event was not organised by the CPM, it was widely portrayed as a government-sponsored programme, he said. He added that, in hindsight, the speech of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should never have been read out at the event under any circumstances.

Highlighting the CPM's culture of internal accountability, Shamseer said few political parties were willing to publicly acknowledge their mistakes in the way the CPM does. "We identified the reasons for our defeat and carried out self-criticism. We are a party that works among the people. In politics, the people are the real masters. It is they who tell us when we have gone wrong. We accept those mistakes, correct them, and we will return," he said.

Turning to the political situation in the state, Shamseer said the United Democratic Front (UDF) was currently enjoying a "honeymoon period" after its electoral victory. He also took a swipe at the Congress over the leadership contest before the election, remarking that three leaders had been in the race for the chief minister's post, but in the end, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was sidelined.