As political fronts scramble to shape public perception, the question the ruling CPI(M) faces: Is the glass half full or half empty?
Published Nov 24, 2024 | 7:54 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 24, 2024 | 8:22 PM
Congress leaders celebrating the party's victory in Palakkad. (Facebook)
The ruling CPI(M) and the Congress won a seat each in the Assembly by-polls in Kerala, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat for the Congress. The BJP drew a blank.
As political fronts scramble to shape public perception, the question the ruling party in the state faces: Is the glass half full or half empty?
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hails the LDF’s Chelakkara win as a reaffirmation of public trust, while Leader of Opposition in the state Aseembly VD Satheesan responds that the Left is in denial about anti-incumbency.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran dismisses the results, calling them inconsequential; just as inconsequential as his party’s performance.
The bypoll results are in, and the battle for narrative dominance begins.
In Left circles, a new buzzword is making waves: “Pinarayi 3.0 loading,” referring to the likelihood of a third straight term for the Left government.
This reflects the buoyant mood within the LDF camp following their by-poll performance, seen as a testament to the absence of anti-incumbency and public endorsement of the government’s initiatives.
Vijayan described the victory as a mandate to accelerate the government’s development and welfare efforts.
Speaking about the decisive win in the Chelakkara Assembly Constituency, he declared: “The LDF received a secular vote against all forms of communalism. This result underscores the need to expose communalism and uphold secular politics without compromise. The anti-government narrative has failed miserably, and the people have rejected the baseless propaganda of our detractors.”
While acknowledging the UDF’s retention of Palakkad, Vijayan highlighted that the LDF’s vote share in the constituency increased.
As for the BJP, he dismissed their claims of a rising influence in Kerala, saying that their Thrissur Lok Sabha victory was a mere “temporary blip.”
CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan reinforced this sentiment, asserting that anti-incumbency exists only in the mind of Satheesan.
Citing numbers, Govindan pointed out that in Chelakkara, where sitting MLA K Radhakrishnan had a lead of 5,173 votes in the Lok Sabha elections, UR Pradeep secured a thumping victory margin of 12,201 votes in the bypoll.
Minister P Rajeev also delivered a sharp jab at the Congress, recalling a statement by one of its leaders: “The real political fight is at Chelakkara.”
“If that’s the case,” Rajeev quipped, “we’ve won it.”
However, the resounding defeat in the Wayanad Lok Sabha polls, where Priyanka Gandhi marked her electoral debut with a staggering four-lakh-vote victory, casts a shadow over the Left’s celebrations.
CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri’s performance has raised questions about whether the CPI(M) campaign in Wayanad fell short.
Adding to the debate, Mokeri criticised the Congress for undermining the INDIA alliance by targeting the Left more aggressively than the Sangh Parivar.
At the same time, despite the electoral setback, Left candidate in Palakkad, Dr P Sarin reaffirmed his dedication to the district’s development and promised to remain active among the people.
“Kerala continues to march forward under the leadership of the Left Front, and the dreams of Palakkad’s development remain a top priority. I assure you that I will tirelessly champion every cause for the betterment of our land,” he said.
The election results sparked diverse reactions from the Congress leadership.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who emerged victorious in Wayanad, expressed heartfelt gratitude.
UDF leaders dissected the Chelakkara Assembly seat results, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) managed to hold its ground, albeit with a significantly reduced majority.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in her first message after her victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, reached out to her supporters with warmth and humility.
Addressing the people of Wayanad, she said: “My dearest sisters and brothers of Wayanad, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the trust you have placed in me. I will make sure that over time, you truly feel this victory has been your victory and the person you chose to represent you understands your hopes and dreams and fights for you as one of your own. I look forward to being your voice in Parliament!”
The jubilation was tempered by the party’s loss in the Chelakkara Assembly constituency.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran pointed to the reduction in the LDF’s majority as a sign of growing dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s government.“The fact that the huge majority of 39,000 has reduced to 12,000 is evidence of the loss of the popular base of the CPI(M )and the dissatisfaction of its cadres with Pinarayi Vijayan’s rule,” Sudhakaran remarked.
He also accused the CPI(M) of tacitly supporting the BJP in the constituency, stating, “The flow of votes from the CPI(M) to the BJP shows that alliance becoming a threat to democratic secular believers in Chelakkara.”
Sudhakaran also claimed the UDF had succeeded in overcoming divisive campaigns by the CPI(M) and BJP, seeing the reduced majority as “the first step towards securing victory in the coming days.”
Satheesan questioned the CPI(M)’s narrative of victory in Chelakkara.
Criticising the ruling party, he said: “Despite the 28,000-vote deficit in the majority in Chelakkara, the Public Works Minister PA Mohamamd Riyas, who is the closest person to the Chief Minister, said that Pinarayi Vijayan is shining brightly. How is the Chief Minister shining brightly despite such a huge defeat?”
Highlighting the Palakkad outcome, Satheesan accused the CPI(M) of aligning with the BJP to weaken the Congress.
“The CPI(M) and the BJP contested together. That is why Rahul Manmkootathil got the largest majority in the history of Palakkad. The election results in Palakkad are a declaration that only the Congress and the UDF can hold back the BJP in Kerala,” he said.
The BJP launched a sharp critique of the Congress, alleging that it was in open alliance with communal organisations like the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Jamaat-e-Islami in its by-poll campaign.
Dismissing the bypoll results, Surendran said both the UDF and LDF merely retained their seats, offering no substantial shift in Kerala’s political landscape.
“Congress’ victory in Palakkad was orchestrated by communal forces. Their campaign was controlled by organisations like the SDPI, which have a history of threatening and violent behaviour. What was once a covert alliance has now become evident,” Surendran said.
He warned that the Congress would face dire consequences for aligning with such groups, citing the party’s decline in Maharashtra as a cautionary example.
In Palakkad, BJP leaders alleged that the Congress’ collaboration with the SDPI was central to their campaign.
“This is not the first time Congress has used communal tactics for electoral gains. However, such strategies cannot sustain their relevance for long,” Surendran remarked.
In Wayanad, BJP candidate Navya Haridas noted a significant drop in the party’s vote share, which stood at just one percent compared to the 13 percent achieved by BJP president Surendran in the previous election.
Despite this, Haridas emphasised the BJP’s focus on exposing what she called the “double standards” of both the UDF and LDF on contentious issues like the Waqf land dispute.
“The people of Wayanad continue to favour the Congress, despite former MP Rahul Gandhi’s limited contributions to the constituency. If this trend persists, the BJP is ready to establish a parallel system to address the people’s issues effectively,” Haridas stated.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas.)
