Despite widespread criticism about his functioning – some of it from party colleagues – Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appears unyielding.
Published Jul 31, 2024 | 7:02 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 31, 2024 | 7:03 AM
Bypolls to 49 local body wards of Kerala began at 7 am on Tuesday, 30 July. Elections were held in all districts except Wayanad.
One district panchayat ward, four block panchayat wards, six municipality wards, and 38 grama panchayat wards witnessed polling. State Election Commissioner A Shajahan said 169 candidates are contesting in these byelections, among them 76 women.
A total of 211 polling booths have been set up to facilitate the voting process; the 49 wards have 1,63,639 eligible voters. Counting is scheduled for Wednesday; the results will be read as a sign of the public perception of the Left Democratic Front government, with assembly polls less than two years away.
At a public rally in Malappuram district on June 13, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan emphasised the importance of setting the right priorities to avoid setbacks in elections. He said a delay in disbursing social welfare and service pensions, dearness allowance, and benefits for cashew and coir workers had led to widespread discontent. The BJP has made significant strides in the state, polling the largest number of votes in 11 assembly segments in the Lok Sabha polls this year; in 2019, it had come first only in one of the 140 assembly segments.
At the CPI(M) central committee meeting in New Delhi on June 28-30, there was an acknowledgement that the party had not adequately addressed the challenge of Hindutva politics; the review noted a discrepancy between the party’s pre-poll predictions and the actual outcomes, indicating a deterioration in the party’s direct engagement with the public.
In the first week of July, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury informed the media that matters discussed in the central committee meeting were still under review, and evaluations had been completed. He said the state committee would offer details, while suggesting that corrective steps would be taken in identified areas.
Questioned by the media about whether the Lok Sabha election results reflected on the performance of the state government in Kerala, Yechury said it was up to the people to judge the government’s performance in the forthcoming state elections.
Despite widespread criticism about his functioning – some of it from party colleagues – Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appears unyielding. There is significant concern within the party that Vijayan’s methods are contributing to the party’s lackluster performance in elections.
CPI, a key ally of the LDF, is now visibly working to address issues within the CPI(M). CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam told South First, “My comments in Janayugam (the official Malayalam daily newspaper of the Kerala State Council of the CPI) reflect my views on the CPI(M). When Communists come to power, the interests of the poor should be given top priority. C. Achyuthamenon’s governance underscored this principle for Kerala.” Achyuthamenon, of the CPI, was chief minister of the state in 1969-70.
A source who is well informed about the CPI in Kerala told South First that with just 23 months left in the Pinarayi government’s second term, there is a strong push within the party to bolster CPI’s role in governance. The source cited criticism that CPI ministers were not actively seeking funds for their portfolios from the state finance department. To address these issues, the ministers and party leaders will be meeting to discuss strategies to improve government performance and ensure access to the necessary resources.
The CPI is bent on correcting course, to better impact local body and assembly elections. It has sought that the ruling front allocates necessary funds to Supplyco, the brand by which the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation is known. Supplyco acts as the execution arm of the state civil supplies department, and controls the prices of essential commodities by intervening in the market.
It runs chains of retail supermarkets and general stores, assuring food security and supplying essential commodities at affordable prices. The state government supports Supplyco with grants every year, and about 40 lakh families buy their supplies from Supplyco. The CPI has been pitching for the state government to release dues owed to Supplyco. In November last year, agents supplying Supplyco had threatened to go on strike as dues owed to them by Supplyco soared to over ₹700 crore.
A source said the CPI would also intensify efforts to ensure proper utilization of funds allocated to local bodies and repair of roads in poor condition. The opposition Congress had earlier highlighted the issue of violence by the ruling party’s student organization, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), at various campuses. There was even one alleged assault on a college principal.
In response, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan staunchly defended the SFI members. He said CPI(M) workers and his own security personnel were only acting in self-defence mode when Congress workers waved black flags at his car. It was alleged that CPI(M) workers and security men were violent, but Vijayan said it was an attempt to prevent the Congress workers from colliding with the car.
Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members have been involved in more than one instance of disruption of order, after criticism in CPI(M) meetings over the death of 20-year-old J.S. Sidharthan, a student of veterinary science at a government college in Wayanad, allegedly after being attacked by senior students. Among the 18 accused held are SFI activists.
An SFI worker in Kottayam said the CPI(M) has since instructed young people involved in the SFI to more actively pursue public service.
Kerala is the leading state in the nation for social security pensions, supporting 6.2 million individuals. To sustain a monthly pension of ₹1,600 per person, the state incurs an annual expenditure of ₹9,000 crore. The Central government’s contribution to this head of expenditure is minimal, and frequently falls short.
If the government increases welfare pensions and introduces pensions for homemakers, expenditure may prove impossible to bear for the state government. The CPI and other parties in the ruling Left Front are urging the government to ensure that existing pensions are distributed promptly, starting next year. The state finance department has held that the policy of the Union government is causing lapses in timely distribution of welfare pensions in the state.
In the midst of these concerns, the results of the byelections will be closely watched on Wednesday.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
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