CPM leadership urges Kerala unit to rectify its mistakes

The central committee said patient and concerted political, ideological and organisational work is necessary to check the BJP’s growth in Kerala.
(File Photo)
(File Photo)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sabarimala issue and entry of two women there immediately after the Women’s Wall contributed to the Left’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, says a report by the CPM central committee. The party’s central leadership urged its Kerala unit to take appropriate steps to rectify its mistakes and shortcomings in gauging the people’s mood. 

The central committee said patient and concerted political, ideological and organisational work is necessary to check the BJP’s growth in Kerala. There was erosion of CPM votes in some of the party’s traditional strongholds. The party should find out why its base is not expanding, said the report. 

The report - a review of the Lok Sabha elections - adopted by the party’s central committee says the entry of two women into Sabarimala after the Women’s Wall was used by the UDF and the BJP against the CPM. It says the stand taken by the party and the LDF Government was correct and the party and the LDF Government could not afford to take a stand except to uphold the Supreme Court verdict ensuring gender equality.

“To make use of the confusion among a section of devotees, the Congress and the BJP-RSS reversed their earlier position of supporting the Supreme Court verdict and organised a virulent campaign against the CPM and the LDF Government. They were able to wean away a section of our traditional supporters.” 
“The entry of two women into the temple after the Women’s Wall programme was also utilised by the UDF and the BJP. The impact of this campaign among our supporters varied from region to region. Those who got alienated from us voted for the Congress or the BJP in varied ways in different constituencies,” says the report brought out by the central committee. 

The report mentions vote trade by the BJP to ensure LDF’s defeat. “The BJP has always been transferring a section of its votes to the UDF. This time too, other than in the five constituencies – Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad – the BJP traded a section of its votes in favour of the UDF,” the report observed. 

Observing that there was general appreciation of the LDF  Government among the people, the report said it should be probed why the party failed to convert this goodwill into electoral votes. It has to be identified where the remedial measures ought to be initiated.“Why we failed to gauge the public’s mood is a matter of serious concern. The state committee should take appropriate steps to rectify the mistakes and shortcomings,” said the central committee. 

Though the BJP failed to open its account, the party managed to garner 15.56 per cent of votes, despite transferring a portion of its votes to the UDF. This is a matter of serious concern.  Despite the hard work put in by the cadre and the LDF Government’s good performance, the erosion of votes in some of the traditional CPM citadels ought to be looked into, the report said.

Central committee speak
Patient and concerted political, ideological and organisational work is necessary to check the BJP’s growth in Kerala
There was erosion of CPM votes in some of the party’s traditional strongholds
The party should find out why its base is not expanding
it should be probed why the party failed to convert its general goodwill into electoral votes
It has to be identified where the remedial measures ought to be initiated.

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