Differences within the CPM over the huge setback suffered by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by it in the Lok Sabha elections emerged during the state committee meeting of the party held recently, with some leaders making damning statements. For instance, P Jayarajan alleged that K K Shailaja was defeated in Vadakara because she is a potential candidate for the post of Chief Minister in future.
Similarly, many leaders blamed the fiscal crisis and financial mismanagement by the state government for the defeat of the LDF in 19 out of the 20 seats in Kerala. Finance Minister K N Balagopal, who was also present at the meeting, felt that the criticism was aimed at him and offered to resign if the party had no faith in his functioning. However, the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary M V Govindan rejected the request.
Steep slide in votes
At the same time, there was a consensus in the state committee that the CPM, as well as the LDF, had lost the votes of all sections of the people. The speakers said that a large number of voters belonging to majority, minority and backward communities did not vote for the CPM.
Many of the leaders opined that the CPM’s campaign focusing on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) had backfired.
The campaign, which was intended to earn the support of the Muslim community, had benefited the Congress, they said. While the majority community felt that the CPM was making an attempt to appease the Muslim community, the campaign was opposed by other minorities, the leaders pointed out.
The meeting also discussed the increase in votes secured by the BJP in Kerala and concluded that the saffron party had gained a significant share of the Ezhava and Backward votes, which had traditionally gone to the CPM.
Some state committee members alleged that the LDF government had ignored the interests of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Denial of government benefits and delay in the Life Mission housing project alienated voters belonging to these communities, the CPM leaders said.