THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM which registered an impressive victory, securing 58 seats in the polls, will retain its status of being the single largest party in the Assembly. The united campaign led by Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan and CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan had paid rich dividends across the state.
The CPM leadership has attributed the victory to LDF’s sustained and uncompromising fight against the corrupt Oommen Chandy Government and communal politics of the BJP and its allies like the BDJS.
Apart from Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan, most top leaders of the party secured huge victory in the polls. Central committee members E P Jayarajan, Thomas Isaac, K K Shylaja, A K Balan, state secretariat members M M Mony, T P Ramakrishnan, youth leaders M Swaraj, T V Rajesh, R Rajesh and trade unionists J Mercykutty Amma registered impressive win in their respective constituencies.
The party worked meticulously at the grassroots level to counter the threat posed by Vellapally Natesan through his party the BDJS which is a conglomeration of certain Hindu community organisations. The BDJS had taken extra effort to reduce Achuthanandan’s majority in Malampuzha since the veteran leader had filed a case against Vellapally’s alleged micro finance fraud.
According to CPM leadership, the BDJS tried to weaken the LDF with the blessings of chief minister Oommen Chandy. However, the chief minister's calculations that every vote falling in the kitty of BDJS would ensure the defeat of LDF, not only went horribly wrong but led to the defeat of UDF candidates in several constituencies besides paving the way for BJP-RSS combine to spread its wing in the state.
While the victory of CPM has brought relief to secular-democratic sections of society in the state and across the country, the biggest challenge lies ahead when the party takes up the responsibility of leading the government. The expectations of the people are sky high and the CPM will have to rise up to their expectations to full fill the LDF poll slogan "LDF varum ellam sheriakum" .
