Kannur, 03 July (H.S.):

Senior CPI(M) leader and state secretariat member Puthalath Dinesan has publicly outlined what he described as the party's organisational and political shortcomings that contributed to the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) defeat in the Kerala Assembly election. In a detailed Facebook post, Dinesan said a combination of campaign missteps, controversial decisions and failures in political communication had adversely affected the party's electoral prospects.

He said the defeat was the result of several shortcomings that emerged during the election campaign, including lapses at the grassroots level. Referring to controversies over candidate selection in the Payyannur and Taliparamba Assembly constituencies, Dinesan said the decisions taken by the party in those situations failed to yield positive results.

Dinesan also pointed to the controversy surrounding the Travancore Devaswom Board's Ayyappa Sangamam programme. While maintaining that there was nothing wrong with the Devaswom Board organising such an event, he said the United Democratic Front (UDF) and sections of the media successfully portrayed it as a government-sponsored programme, influencing public opinion. He added that reading out a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has an RSS background, during the event was also a mistake.

He acknowledged that action over the Sabarimala gold plating controversy was delayed. Although there were practical limitations because former Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar was in jail in connection with the case, Dinesan said the issue demanded urgent intervention and the failure to act promptly was a weakness.

According to Dinesan, the decision of six individuals who had earlier worked in various party organisations to contest against the LDF damaged the coalition's public image. He said the episode underscored the need to ensure that parliamentary ambitions do not overshadow party discipline and ideological commitment.

The senior leader also admitted that the CPI(M) failed to respond forcefully to the anti-Muslim remarks made by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan during a speech in Malappuram. A clearer and more critical response from the party, he said, could have prevented opponents from exploiting the issue for political gains.

Dinesan further said the LDF was unable to effectively communicate the promises contained in its election manifesto and acknowledged that the coalition's campaign slogan failed to resonate with voters as it had in previous elections.

He also criticised the party's inability to counter what he described as the UDF's misinformation campaign. Statements made by certain leaders during the election, he said, also proved politically damaging. In addition, the party failed to engage closely enough with the public and accurately assess the mood of the electorate.

Dinesan said the CPI(M)'s expanded state committee would focus on strengthening the party organisation, correcting the shortcomings identified during the post-election review and rebuilding its connection with the people.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman