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Thiruvananthapuram: Judging that an unprecedented fall in party votes led to the LDF’s humiliating defeat in the Indian Lok Sabha elections, the CPM has decided to carry out a detailed and comprehensive study into the party’s vote fall at the constituency level.
The CPM is likely to conduct special surveys or party committee surveys in areas where the margin of defeat was too large. The state secretariat will recommend further action in its report to the state committee.
The decision was taken by the CPM state secretariat, which met in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday to mark the start of a five-day caucus of the party.
The CPM feels that the increase in BJP’s vote share and the saffron party’s win of one seat should be taken seriously.Unlike in the past, the Left votes have gone to the BJP, the party observed.
The two-day secretariat meeting followed by a three-day state committee meeting is expected to hammer out immediate steps to revive the party machinery ahead of next year’s local body elections.
The Secretariat will consider reports from constituency and district committees on the LDF’s activities in the elections.
The meeting, which will see national leaders take part in a summit that is expected to examine the reasons for the party’s erosion of its base of support, even in the streets. In a clear departure from normal circumstances, this time the party has acknowledged the need for an immediate course correction.
Many leaders, including state secretary MV Govindan, have pointed out the need to identify lapses.
The state leadership is likely to discuss possible flaws in candidate selection, the campaign centred around the CAA and ultimately the reasons for the drop in vote count.
Recently, Govindan has openly stressed on the need to change the way party committees are run and also the need to be patient with intra-party differences.
Political Party Committee
The CPM is expected to set up party committees in districts where it suffered heavy defeats, including Pathanamthitta. The party will also be formulating guidelines for corrective measures.
Anti-government sentiment
Some in the CPM feel there is an anti-government sentiment among the electorate. The declining vote base needs to be addressed. Votes are going to the Bharatiya Janata Party and not the Indian National Congress. The issue needs to be taken seriously, the official said.
The party report submitted in the last secretariat had claimed that “despite facing severe setbacks, the CPM has not lost its support base. The CPM’s support base of about 35 per cent remains intact.”
