Thiruvananthapuram, 09 June (H.S.):

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M.V. Govindan on Tuesday acknowledged that the party suffered an unexpected and comprehensive setback in the recent Kerala Assembly elections, admitting that votes were lost across all sections of society and that the party leadership had failed to anticipate the scale of the defeat.

Addressing reporters after the CPM State Committee meeting, Govindan said the party had undertaken a detailed review of the election results and identified several factors that contributed to the Left Democratic Front’s loss of power. While the previous LDF government’s overall performance had been appreciated by the public, he said the administration was unable to fully address the concerns of people engaged in traditional sectors and other vulnerable sections, leading to growing dissatisfaction.

Govindan revealed that the Kannur District Committee had presented a self-critical assessment before the State Committee, acknowledging mistakes in candidate selection in the Payyannur and Taliparamba constituencies. He also alleged that in nearly 30 constituencies BJP votes had shifted to the United Democratic Front (UDF), while in some areas there had been reciprocal voting patterns that affected the LDF’s prospects.

The CPM leader said several controversies were effectively used by political opponents during the campaign. He argued that the Right-wing campaign portraying the government as the organiser of the Ayyappa Sangamam event created confusion among voters. He also admitted that the reading of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s message at the event was inappropriate.

On the Sabarimala gold smuggling case, Govindan said accused Devaswom Board president P.S. Prasanth Kumar Padmakumar had been removed from all party activities. However, he conceded that the perception that the party had not acted firmly enough at the outset damaged its image during the election campaign.

Govindan further said the party’s response to controversial remarks made by SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan was inadequate, particularly among minority communities. He acknowledged that the CPM had failed to strongly counter anti-Muslim statements, creating an impression of indifference among sections of the electorate.

The CPM also accused the Congress, Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami of exploiting concerns among minority communities over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to Govindan, a “false campaign” was carried out claiming that the initiative had been introduced by the Pinarayi Vijayan government, thereby alienating minority voters from the Left.

Describing identity-based politics as a challenge to Left ideology, Govindan said such narratives had also influenced the election outcome. He maintained that no single community had united to defeat the LDF, but acknowledged that the party had lost support across all social groups.

The CPM plans to launch a comprehensive organisational renewal programme by August. As part of the exercise, the party will seek public opinion through WhatsApp, email and other platforms to gather suggestions on addressing contemporary social and political challenges and charting the party’s future course.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman