The Left, which bucked the Kerala trend in 2021 by securing a second consecutive term in power, is facing an uphill task this time with anti-incumbency, desertion by senior leaders and anger at chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s “autocratic” style of functioning threatening the ruling combine’s prospects.
The Congress-helmed United Democratic Front, which has been out of power for a decade, is treating the April 9 Assembly elections as a do-or-die battle. While a section of youth leaders has been cosying up to the BJP, the Congress is deriving confidence from the fact that several CPM veterans have joined forces with the UDF.
As many as six senior Left Democratic Front leaders have severed ties with the alliance because of growing disillusionment with Big Brother CPM’s decisions, allegations of autocratic functioning and alleged embezzlement of party funds. Now they are in the fray either as Independents with the backing of the Congress or contesting on the Opposition party’s tickets.
While the first Vijayan government had a smooth sailing after the victory of 2016, the communist veteran’s second stint has been far from so.
Apart from strong anti-incumbency, there appears to be a fierce anti-Vijayan sentiment in the state. CPM veterans like T.K. Govindan, K. Kunhikrishnan, P.K. Sasi, G. Sudhakaran and Aiysha Potti are contesting on Congress tickets. Three-time CPM MLA S. Rajendran from the Devikulam Assembly constituency is in the fray as a BJP candidate.
Former CPI MLAs C.C. Mukundan and K. Ajith are also contesting on BJP tickets.
CPM veteran and former central committee leader Paloli Mohammed Kutty told The Telegraph there was a concerted effort by the Congress and the BJP to ensure that the Vijayan government did not achieve a hat-trick.
“The CPM will emerge victorious as the people of Kerala have seen development and the change that has happened in the last decade. The voters will endorse the Vijayan-led LDF government without fail,” said Paloli, 95.
The LDF’s decision to enter the polls with Vijayan, 80, as the face for a record third time has also not gone down well with a large section of party workers. Since Vijayan is the be-all and end-all in the Kerala CPM and runs the party with an iron grip, disgruntled leaders are apprehensive of questioning him.
A belief has been gaining ground that the Left in Kerala is in decline and could even go the Bengal and Tripura way if corrective steps are not taken.
Congress leader Mullapally Ramachandran told this newspaper: “With strong anti-incumbency and the anti-Vijayan factor ruling the roost, it seems this will be the last Left government in the country. We saw how the CPM disintegrated in Bengal and Tripura. In a matter of days, the CPM will be cutting a sorry figure.”
However, political analyst N.M. Pearson told this newspaper that the CPM had a good chance of putting up a strong fight against the UDF.
“After studying all the 140 Assembly constituencies, I have come to the conclusion that the LDF will surely win at least 51 seats. Another 20-odd seats and the tally could go up to 70. The UDF, on the other hand, appears certain to win in only 28 seats,” Pearson said.
- Kerala votes on April 9