Thrissur: Still smarting from the demoralising defeat in Thrissur, from where BJP's Suresh Gopi scripted a historic win in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Communist Party of India leader said the strong anti-incumbency factor worked against former state minister Sunil Kumar.

CPI District Secretary KK Vatsaraj also admitted that Karuvannur cooperative bank scam, in which the accused were active CPM members, might have also played a part in the defeat. Sunil Kumar finished second behind Gopi who won with a margin of 74,686 votes. This was the first win for the saffron party from the state.

“In the preliminary assessment conducted after the voting, we felt that victory in Thrissur was certain. However, we did not receive the expected votes,” Vatsaraj said. “There was an overall sentiment against the Left Front across Kerala. That resonated in the constituency too. The problem in Thrissur was that the verdict was in favour of the BJP,” he added.

While acknowledging that Karuvannur and the Thrissur pooram management might have played a part in the debacle, he claimed the LDF government, in which CPI is a major constituent, acted swiftly. “The party did not take the Karuvannur issue lightly. And the government took strong actions over the problems in pooram management,” he said.

“While Congress votes increased elsewhere, it is necessary to investigate how Suresh Gopi's votes increased in Thrissur. A detailed examination of the defeat in Thrissur is essential. The voter shift towards Suresh Gopi will be investigated. After internal inquiries by the CPM and CPI, a joint investigation may be conducted if necessary,” he said.