Kerala CPM Launches Massive Introspection Drive After Shock Election Defeat
“Each committee has been told to create a welcoming atmosphere where even regular members can share their views freely and without hesitation”: The CPM state secretary
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shaken by one of their worst defeats in the assembly elections, the Kerala unit of the CPM has decided to launch a two-month-long exercise to assess, review, and make necessary changes to re-establish their strength in the state’s political arena. The decision was made during a state secretariat meeting attended by outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and top party leaders at the AKG Centre. At a press conference, state secretary M V Govindan admitted that the election loss had come as a complete surprise.
“We’re going to take a close look at the different factors behind the adverse mandate. From our initial assessment, it seems that organizational issues, political challenges, and propaganda against the party played a big role in the defeat. As part of the review, we’ll gather input from party workers, units, allies, and the public, making sure to build trust along the way,” he said.
The CPM state secretary added that instructions would be sent to all party units from top to bottom to encourage open and honest discussions. “Each committee has been told to create a welcoming atmosphere where even regular members can share their views freely and without hesitation.”
The LDF, which suffered a near rout in the elections, saw its tally drop from 99 to 35. According to the CPM leader, the LDF secured 37.6 per cent of the vote in the assembly elections, compared to a much lower 35.1 per cent in 2019 and 33.35 per cent in 2024.
However, the front bounced back strongly after making the necessary corrections. “We are a front capable of returning to power in Kerala with the support of the people,” he said.
CPM’s second biggest ally in LDF, the CPI, has also lined up its state and district-level meetings in the coming week to discuss the poll debacle.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said none of the Left parties could gauge the massive erosion of votes. We will examine the verdict of each assembly segment and rectify the mistakes,” he added.