Thiruvananthapuram: Stunned by its worst-ever electoral drubbing in Kerala, the CPI-M has been pushed into an unprecedented moment of introspection, with the defeat not only ending a decade of Left rule in the state but also marking the absence of a Left government anywhere in India for the first time in nearly six decades.
The scale of the setback has triggered a wave of anger within the party, with grassroots workers openly criticising the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state Secretary M. V. Govindan.
What hurt the CPI-M the worst was that four veteran party leaders, after being ejected from the party, contested with the support of the Congress-led UDF and three of them registered success in the Left’s bastions at Kannur and Alappuzha.
V. Kunjikrishnan, who was ousted from the party after he raised allegations of fund misappropriation and won with the support of the UDF, said if the CPI-M does not do a serious introspection, the party here will go the way that happened in West Bengal.
Of the present Assembly, 50 sitting Left legislators lost, while all 32 UDF legislators who contested won. The defeated Left candidates included 13 cabinet colleagues of Vijayan, who were shown the exit door by the voters.
From once commanding 62 seats in 2021, the party has slumped to just 26, prompting demands for accountability and calls for leadership change.
Social media platforms have become a battleground of dissent, with cadres questioning decisions ranging from candidate selection to the perceived sidelining of mass leaders like P. Jayarajan.
The shock has been particularly acute in Kannur, long considered a party citadel, where internal factionalism and rebel candidates are seen to have eroded the CPI-M’s base.
The erosion of traditional strongholds, coupled with a visible consolidation of minority votes against the Left, has deepened concerns about a structural decline.
Adding to the pressure, allies have turned critical.
The CPI’s mouthpiece ‘Janayugom’ has squarely blamed governance failures and growing disconnect with the people, while calling for serious introspection.
A separate editorial in another vernacular daily described the verdict as a public backlash against arrogance, excess and a drift from core secular positions.
Both underline a potent anti-incumbency wave that the Left failed to anticipate.
Yet, senior leader Jayarajan has sought to frame the defeat within a broader political context, arguing that mass struggles, not parliamentary strength, should remain the Left’s real foundation.
Jayarajan also acknowledged the need for course correction, warning that organisational distortions and leadership lapses must be addressed to restore public trust.
The party also faces an ideological challenge, with the BJP making incremental gains in Kerala and the broader rightward shift in national politics.
The CPI-M views this as a call to intensify its resistance, even as it grapples with internal dissent.
For a party that entered the election hoping for a historic third consecutive term, the verdict has been sobering.
The immediate challenge is not just electoral recovery, but rebuilding credibility within its ranks and among voters.
Whether the CPI-M can transform this crisis into renewal will determine if this moment marks a temporary setback or a deeper turning point in the history of the Left in India.
All eyes are on the leadership of the CPI-M, which will meet on Wednesday to take stock of the rout.
(IANS)
