By Arup Chanda
The drubbing of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala was a foregone conclusion known by the CPI(M) leadership long before the elections were even announced though they never expected it to be so bad.
In 2004 the LDF and its ally won 19 out of 20 seats in Kerala, which was considered a miracle. This time it had to bite the dust even in its strongholds as the Congress marched ahead winning 13 seats on its own.
The biggest loser was the CPI(M) which lost eight seats while the CPI has been totally wiped out failing to win any of the three seats it contested.
Non-governance, corruption and factionalism within the state CPI(M) were the issues which cost the Left their seats in constituencies like Ernakulam, Wayanad, Vadakara, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Alapuzha, Mavelikkara, Kollam and Attingul.
The CPI(M) thought of winning over the Muslim votes by aligning with Abdul Nasser Madani of the PDP who was accused in the Coimbatore bomb blasts in 2000 but acquitted by the court. It boomeranged and in turn the party lost many general votes. Because of the LDF’s education policy the church too went against the Leftists and a large number of Christians who dominated constituencies like Idukki and Kottayam voted against the Left.
The electorate in Kerala had been silently watching the open feud between Chief Minister Achutanandan and state CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan accusing each other of corruption. Both were in fact suspended from the CPI(M) Politburo for this reason for six months a few years ago.
But the feud continued so much so that CPI(M) rebels in Vijayan’s area of influence like Kannur even aligned with the BJP to capture local municipalities. Cooperatives belonging reportedly to Vijayan’s followers set up amusements parks worth crores of rupees and his being charged by the CBI in the Lavlin corruption case damaged the Left’s reputation.
While the CPI(M) leadership in Delhi too was divided and was seen taking sides either with Achutanandan and Vijayan, the Left’s image was totally tarnished and its well oiled machinery failed to function.
In contrast the Congress fielded candidates like former UN under secretary general Shashi Tharoor and other nominees with clean images.
The CPI(M) could retain the Kasargod, Pallakkad and Allathur seats as the siting MP from Kasargod had a clean image and is the son-in-law of AK Gopalan and the nominees for Pallakkad and Allathur were new faces.
The party’s heavyweights like Suresh Kurup and Varkala Radhakrishnan lost not because of their fault but the belligerent state leadership more bothered about sharing the pie while in power than providing a clean and able administration.
After the two stalwarts within the Kerala CPI(M) – Achutanandan and Vijayan the party has not been able to groom a second-rung leadership and paid the price by losing heavily.
But then, Kerala always had a five year itch as the electorate normally never re-elects the same government and as a protest against the ruling LDF voted in favour of the Congress-led United Democratic Front.