Local body polls: LDF to analyse reasons for poll debacle

Smarting from the defeat in the local body elections, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders have vowed to do an introspection and devise measures to win back popular support.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who conceded that the LDF could not make expected gains in the polls, said the reasons for the debacle would be analysed. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s upper hand in Thiruvananthapuram and the influence of communalism in the electioneering were worrying the secularists in the State. People should be made aware of the devious designs of the communal elements. The poll outcome underscored the need for collective efforts against communal elements, said Mr. Vijayan in a statement.

The LDF government would remain steadfastly committed to implementing development and welfare schemes in the State and to widening and securing the vote base of the LDF, he said.

Unexpected setback: CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat, which termed the poll results an unexpected setback, said it would evaluate the poll results. The United Democratic Front (UDF) managed to win the local body elections by forging tacit and open alliances with communal elements. The UDF and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) helped each other defeat the LDF. The support of communal elements that stood committed to a theocratic State helped the UDF. The discussions over the UDF’s unholy alliance with the communal elements also benefited the BJP, the statement said.

The party discounted the claims that the BJP made huge poll gains in the State. While the BJP became the single largest party in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the LDF wrested back the Pandalam municipality from the BJP. The BJP lost the majority in the Palakkad municipality, where it was in power. The LDF won back the Kulanada, Cherukole and Mutholi grama panchayats which were ruled by the BJP, it said.

The CPI(M) would do an introspection whether the deficiencies in the functioning of the local bodies where the Left front was in power culminated in the LDF defeat. Introspection would be done at the organisational level too, the statement said.

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said the party had a political history of rising from electoral debacles. Although the front suffered a major setback in the 2010 local body polls, it came back from behind. That time, the party lost power in the Assembly by just two seats. It was the effective work undertaken among the masses that helped the organisation that time, he said. Mr. Govindan claimed that the political base of the LDF remained intact. Barring the gain it made in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP failed to make a big impact, he said.

Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam said the party accepted the people’s verdict with humility. Each constituent of the front would evaluate the poll results. The LDF should uphold the Left values in its functioning. The CPI and the CPI(M) were bound to hold the Left values high. The approach of the two parties on the PM SHRI scheme was the same. Yet, a controversy broke out over the project, hinting at the objection of the CPI to the State government signing an agreement with the Centre, Mr. Viswam said.

The Left parties shall correct themselves and learn lessons from the defeat, he suggested.