CPM central committee unimpressed by Kerala unit’s lok sabha poll review

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala CPM drew flak at the party central committee meet that began in Delhi on Friday. The central committee (CC) reportedly rejected the state leadership’s review that the Lok Sabha poll defeat was down to the position taken by caste and religious organisations.

The party state committee had blamed the SNDP leadership and organisations like the Jamaat-e-Islami and SDPI for CPM’s poll debacle. The CC however felt a more deeper analysis is required to fully comprehend the reasons for the dubbing the party suffered in the general elections.

The politburo report termed the Lok Sabha poll performance disappointing. The party felt that there is a need for deep introspection and necessary correction. However, it is learnt that no demands for a change in leadership were made at the central meet. The state committee’s observation that the national-level alliance caused confusion among voters too didn’t go down well with the CC.

The criticism that came up at the state and district committees reflected in the central committee meet too. Erosion of the Left’s mass base was one of the major concerns raised at the party meet. The party leadership too reportedly drew severe flak, as the leadership had failed to follow-up or implement many of the decisions taken during the earlier party meets.

In line with the state committee’s decision, the CC is likely to recommend that the party sets up a priority list for the LDF government.

The central leadership observed that the CPM’s poor performance in Kerala was surprising, with the party having expected at least six seats for the Left front from the state. The West Bengal unit of the party failed to regain the people’s trust, the leadership felt.

The report presented by CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury pointed to the Left government’s role in the poll defeat. The failure to distribute welfare measures, like pensions, had a major impact in the poll, the report said.

CPM Thiruvananthapuram district leadership has initiated steps to assess the growth of the BJP in the district. The party district secretariat meet on Friday looked into the increase in BJP vote percentage in the Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal Lok Sabha constituencies. Detailed discussions on this will be done by the party district committee.