Kerala On The Line: CPM Battles To Guard Last Bastion
Despite setbacks in both urban and rural areas, the CPM state secretary M V Govindan remains optimistic about making a strong comeback: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After facing a major setback in the recent local body elections in Kerala, the CPM is making a strong push to reconnect with people through its ongoing mass contact programme.
Aiming to visit 1 crore households, the party has leaders from the branch level up to the central committee engaging directly with residents. CPM general secretary M A Baby, along with other senior leaders, has been visiting homes across the state, highlighting the importance of the initiative.
The losses in 174 grama panchayats, four district panchayats, four city corporations, and 15 municipalities have served as a wake-up call for the Left, prompting the leadership to acknowledge that serious issues need addressing.
Despite setbacks in both urban and rural areas, the CPM state secretary M V Govindan remains optimistic about making a strong comeback. He noted that based on assembly-wise voting patterns in the local body polls, the LDF led in 60 seats, suggesting their voter base is intact.
Amid criticism of the uncommunist and arrogant behaviour of some leaders in Kerala, the party has issued “do’s and don’ts” for those visiting households. Aimed at rebuilding trust after electoral losses and preparing for the upcoming assembly elections, the guidelines urge leaders to listen patiently, engage respectfully, address concerns about governance and welfare schemes, avoid confrontations, and focus on constructive dialogue.
Guarding the last bastion
Kerala stands as the final stronghold of the CPM—and the entire Left in the country—and its leaders are determined to protect it at all costs. While West Bengal heads to the polls alongside Kerala, the party has little hope for a comeback in the state it once ruled for over 34 years.
In the 2021 assembly elections, the CPM failed to win a single seat there, with its vote share plummeting to 3 per cent. In Tripura, another former Left fortress, the situation is only slightly better, with the party holding the Opposition Leader’s post, 11 seats, and a 24.6 per cent vote share.
But Kerala, with its alternative development model, communal harmony and strong socio-economic and health indicators, remains a prized state for the dwindling Left, and it is eager to hold on to it.
PM Modi to unveil development plan for Thiruvananthapuram
The defeat in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, especially at the hands of the BJP, was a major setback for the Left. Even a month after the results, the BJP’s national leadership continues to highlight the victory, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi referencing it in his speech in West Bengal on Saturday. Modi is set to visit Kerala on January 23 to unveil a major urban development plan for Thiruvananthapuram, as the BJP aims to promote its “Viksitha Keralam” development agenda ahead of the important assembly elections.
