‘Factionalism led to defeat’: Sharp criticisms at CPM Palakkad committee meet

Palakkad: The CPM district committee meeting in Palakkad witnessed sharp criticism from members over the party's poor performance in the assembly elections. A few district committee members alleged that factionalism within the party in the district had contributed to defeats even in constituencies with strong winning prospects. During the review meeting of election results in all 12 assembly constituencies in Palakkad, several members reportedly pointed out that although CPM performed comparatively better in Palakkad, internal disunity led to the loss of sitting seats. Members alleged that the district leadership failed to identify and resolve factional activities within the party in constituencies such as Thrithala, Kongad and Nenmara. Thrithala, in particular, was described as a constituency with high victory prospects for the party. However, the development projects implemented under minister M B Rajesh could not be effectively translated into electoral gains, members pointed out. Criticism was also raised that the district leadership failed to address complaints and concerns raised by local party units, leading to dissatisfaction and alleged vote leakage during the election. At the same time, the meeting reportedly assessed that unity within the party in Ottapalam constituency had helped secure a decisive victory there. The state leadership also came under criticism during the discussions. Some members observed that the party's growing shift towards personality-centred politics was not a healthy trend. Statements made by senior leader M M Mani were also criticized for creating dissatisfaction among sections of voters. CPM Palakkad district secretary E N Suresh Babu, politburo member A Vijayaraghavan, and central committee members K Radhakrishnan and K Saleekha attended the meeting.