Zero seats in two consecutive polls, results shock CPI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Lok Sabha election result has come as a shocker for the CPI state leadership with all its candidates in Kerala tasting defeat for the second consecutive time. Of the four seats it contested, the CPI came second in three — Thrissur, Wayanad and Mavelikkara — and finished third in Thiruvananthapuram.

This election also held significance as the CPI was facing polls for the first time since the demise of its stalwart Kanam Rajendran. For Binoy Viswam, Kanam’s successor as the party state secretary, a good performance was pivotal to hold the cadre together.

However, the results, especially in Thrissur, dealt a huge blow to the CPI. The CPI had the utmost confidence in its Thrissur candidate V S Sunil Kumar. “Blaming the Congress for the BJP’s win in Thrissur is not a good way of introspection. The LDF underestimated Suresh Gopi’s abilities to garner votes. He has attracted votes outside the Hindutva sphere — a large section of Christian votes moved to the Saffron Party’s kitty. It’s also important that the BJP is eating into the votes of both the LDF and the UDF,” a senior CPI leader told TNIE.

In Wayanad, senior leader Annie Raja came second against Congress strongman and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi. She bettered the result compared to 2019. However, in Thiruvananthapuram, where the CPM- CPI worked as a double engine, the candidate, Pannian Raveendran, finished third. When compared to the 2019 result, his vote share also came down.