CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said the party didn't get the expected victory and suffered a heavy defeat: The party's district committees, however, have found reasons that led to the debacle, and they want a course correction.
Pinarayi Vijayan's handling of the media, party's failure in reining in SFI and DYFI, police highhandedness, his stoic silence in critical matters are some of the reasons CPI(M) district committees have pointed out for the organisation's dismal performance at the Lok Sabha polls. (South First)
Still smarting from the Lok Sabha poll debacle, the district committees of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala convened another round of meetings to assess the mortifying electoral damage.
The Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam district meetings heard the members making acerbic comments against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his perceived arrogance, and the controversies surrounding him.
The proceedings in several district committee meetings were not to the state leadership’s liking. Some district committees persisted in scrutinising the chief minister’s actions, and the administration’s conduct, despite the state committee and secretary’s assurance to address the issues.
On his part, Vijayan has so far been mum on the criticism levelled against him.
With the party’s central committee set to convene a three-day meeting starting Friday, 28 June, there is anticipation over whether the sentiments expressed by some district committees and state committee members will lead to significant changes in the government’s functioning.
The outcome of the central committee meeting will be closely watched, as it may signal the party’s response to internal criticisms and future strategies.
In the weeks leading up to the state-level meeting, district committees analysed the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Prominent among the discussions were the allegations against the chief minister and his family, as well as broader concerns about the administration’s performance.
Vijayan’s family, specifically daughter T Veena, has been facing charges of receiving money from a Kochi-based firm for IT services not rendered.
The preliminary district-level discussions have set the stage for the party’s state secretariat and state committee meetings, convened from 16 to 20 June, purportedly analyse the issues in depth.
Following the state-level analysis, the report was given to the district committees for further discussion.
In the follow-up discussions, significant focus was put on the chief minister’s leadership and some district committees like Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam continued to strongly criticise Vijayan’s conduct and policies.
Party sources said the Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam district committees were particularly vocal. They attributed the electoral defeat to many factors, including the chief minister ignoring the criticisms against him.
“Despite being a powerful figure, the chief minister should have understood that the people are watching his conduct, however insignificant. His conduct against media persons, layman-like loudspeaker operators, and others, disseminated a negative message among the electorate,” a district committee member said.
The police had registered a case suo motu after a mic howled while Vijayan was speaking at an Oommen Chandy condolence meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in July last. Though the case was later dropped on Vijayan’s instruction, it had by then caused much damage.
“It seems he often behaves like a party secretary, forgetting that he is a chief minister. His behaviour has been rejected by the people,” another committee member remarked. “The voting patterns are a reflection of the anti-incumbency sentiment,” he added, saying most district committees shared the same sentiments.
“We have highlighted several key factors contributing to the public’s disenchantment. Questionable candidate selection, the conduct of certain ministers and their staff, and failure to clear the dues of pensioners and social scheme beneficiaries. Some of the ministers and their staff’s behaviour was unacceptable to the public.
The district committee meeting in Ernakulam echoed many of the same concerns. It emphasised the chief minister’s failure to address allegations against him and his daughter.
It is learnt that the general sentiment during the meeting was that Vijayan’s stoic silence in the face of serious allegations backfired spectacularly on the party.
“The remarks of LDF convener EP Jayarajan that the BJP had fielded better candidates and the chief minister’s rebuke on polling day added fuel to the fire,” the member pointed out.
Vijayan rebuked Jayarajan after it was revealed that he had met Prakash Javadekar, the BJP leader in charge of Kerala. It was alleged that the meeting was on Jayarajan’s possible switch over to the BJP.
The district committee member also mentioned the mishandling of the Sidharathan case, the functioning of the SFI and DYFI, and the police, too, proved detrimental in the CPI(M) falling out of favour with the people.
JS Sidharathan, a second-year undergraduate student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University was found dead in his hostel at Pookode in Wayanad on 18 February. It has been alleged that a group of students, including SFI activists, tortured Sidharathan for days.
“The mishandling of the Siddharthan case and the inappropriate conduct of youth wings like SFI and DYFI, combined with police high-handedness in several cases have severely damaged the party’s credibility,” the member stated.
The committees also expressed concern over the CPI(M) decision to field MLAs, despite anticipating voter backlash.
“It was a strategic blunder and we need to acknowledge these mistakes and ensure they are not repeated,” he said.
Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta district secretaries, CN Mohanan and KP Udayabhanu, did not respond to South First.
Earlier, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan told the media that the party didn’t get the expected victory and suffered a heavy defeat.
While saying that the party couldn’t understand the pulse of the people, dues towards various social scheme beneficiaries reflected adversely in the poll outcome.
However, he added that the false campaign against Pinarayi Vijayan, his family and some party members might have influenced voters.
According to party insiders, the coming weeks will be crucial for the CPI(M) as it seeks to rise on its legs after electoral defeat and realign its strategies to better resonate with the electorate.
They also pointed out that the outcome of the district committee meetings will play a pivotal role in shaping the party’s future direction.
(Edited by Majnu Babu)
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