Speaking to the media after discussions and assessments held by the CPM state secretariat, Govindan said the LDF had been overconfident that the government’s actions, particularly the Cabinet decision of October 29—would yield positive electoral results.
Photo: IANS
CPM Kerala secretary MV Govindan on Monday said that overconfidence, organizational weaknesses and local-level failures were the main reasons behind the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) unexpected poor performance in the recent local body elections.
Speaking to the media after discussions and assessments held by the CPM state secretariat, Govindan said the LDF had been overconfident that the government’s actions, particularly the Cabinet decision of October 29—would yield positive electoral results. However, organizational weaknesses in certain areas, especially urban regions, adversely affected the outcome.
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“The LDF was generally overconfident that the government’s actions, particularly the Cabinet decision of October 29, would work in its favour. Organizational weaknesses in some areas, especially in urban centres, contributed to the setback. There were also lapses in local-level activities, which affected election work in certain regions,” he said.
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Govindan added that the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP carried out aggressive propaganda on issues such as Sabarimala, but failed to achieve the desired impact. “The results show that their campaign did not succeed. The LDF won the Pandalam municipality, which includes Sabarimala, from the BJP,” he said.
He further stated that the narrative alleging the LDF government’s involvement in the Sabarimala gold theft case was used to disrupt discourse on livelihood and development issues during the campaign. However, he maintained that such efforts did not yield electoral dividends for the opposition.
“Despite the setback, the LDF’s public support has not diminished. The vote share clearly reflects this,” Govindan said. He pointed out that while the LDF secured 33.60 per cent of the vote in the last Lok Sabha elections, its vote share increased to 39.73 per cent in the local body polls. “The LDF’s vote count rose from 66,65,370 in the Lok Sabha elections to 84,10,085 in the local body elections, an increase of 17,35,175 votes,” he added.
Govindan noted that the LDF holds a clear lead in 60 constituencies, and in most of the remaining constituencies, the margin of defeat was narrow. He also said that both the UDF and the BJP registered a decline in their vote share compared to the Lok Sabha elections.
On the arrest of former CPM MLA M Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold robbery case, Govindan said no immediate action would be taken. “It is necessary to ascertain whether Padmakumar has any role in the case. The CPM does not take action based on media reports alone,” he said.
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