The CPI Secretariat, which reviewed the party’s performance in the elections, minced no words in criticizing the CPI(M). The party blamed the CPI(M) – it has a point - for forcing the Revolutionary Socialist Party(RSP) out of the LDF and crossing over to the Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) on poll-eve. What proved the last straw for the RSP, the CPI Secretariat felt, was the CPI(M)’s unilateral announcement of the candidature of its Politburo member M. A. Baby from Kollam Lok Sabha constituency. CPI’s Kollam district secretary, A. Ramachandran said the RSP’s decision to leave the LDF should have been avoided.

Compounding the CPI(M) offence was the remark by CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan’s derogatory reference to RSP candidate in Kollam, N. K. Premachandran, as a ‘stinker’. That uncharitable remark, the secretariat opined, affected the chances of LDF candidates in many constituencies.

The party also admitted its error of judgment in selecting the candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. The selection of Bennet Abraham as the CPI candidate to woo the Nadar community had not only failed but also boomeranged with Abraham being pushed to the third position in a humiliating defeat. The State CPI leadership was subjected to criticism over the selection of Bennet Abraham, allegedly at the insistence of the CPI(M). The party also appointed a three-member committee to probe the Thiruvananthapuram debacle, including the massive erosion of LDF vote in the Kerala Capital, which went to BJP candidate, O. Rajagopal.

A strong candidate would have given both Congress and the BJP candidates a run for their money in Thiruvananthapuram, where the LDF has a strong base, felt the party secretariat.

Referring to the defeat of CPI(M) candidate M A Baby in Kollam, the CPI said, ironically, Baby maintained lead in Chadayamangalam, Punalur and Cahattanur Assembly segments, represented by the CPI, but could not lead in Kollam and Kundara, represented in the Assembly by CPI(M) Central Committee member, P. K. Gurudasan and Baby himself respectively!

The Secretariat also expressed its joy over winning the Thrissur seat by C. N. Jayadevan by a convincing margin of more than 37,000 votes. The party candidates put up a good fight in Mavelikkara and Wayanad constituencies, too. In Mavelikkara, the CPI candidate lost despite putting up a good fight because of the RSP factor. As for Wayanad, CPI’s Satyan Mokeri gave Congress candidate, M. I. Shanavas, a real fright. The Congress candidate’s majority came down from 1.53 lakh in 2009 to 20,000 in this election.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) Secretariat, which also met to reviewed the party’s poll performance felt that the consolidation of minority votes in favour of the UDF was the reason for the LDF’s below-par performance. The minority communities felt, the CPI(M) Secretariat said, the UDF was in a better position to stop the Modi march; that explains the UDF’s winning 12 seats. But for the good show put up by the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress(M), the Congress performance would have been pathetic, said CPI(M) Politburo member, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, adding that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy should thank Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi for saving the blushes for the UDF.

But what has really upset the CPIM) is the convincing defeat of Baby at the hands of Premachandran in Kollam. An upset Baby is reported to have offered to resign as MLA as even in his own constituency, Kundra, the RSP candidate managed to establish an impressive lead of over 6,900 votes. He is also said to have complained to the CPI(M) Politburo about Vijayan’s ‘stinker’ remark. Baby’s own statement to the press is eloquent and self-explanatory. “Whatever I have to say I shall say in the appropriate party forum. I do not want to discuss it in public.”

Likewise, the CPI(M) is equally upset about its loss in Vadakara. The strategy of inducting BJP rebels O. K. Vasu and others into the CPI(M) failed to bring the expected results. Not only that. That decision, in retrospect, would seem to have alienated the minorities and resulted in the loss of Vadakara seat by a wafer-thin margin of over 3,000 votes.

Needless to say, the task is cut out for both the CPI(M) and the CPI. But it is a good sign both the parties have got down to the task of strengthening the organizational base by identifying the factors which caused the defeat. The next step is to apply the correctives forthwith. The coming days would see both the parties nerving themselves to meeting the challenge. (IPA Service)