Kerala assembly election results: Sickle gets hammered, Left homeless

NEW DELHI: The ouster of the two-term CPM-led Left Democratic Front govt in Kerala by the Congress-led UDF marks the first time since 1977 that no state in India will have a Communist govt. The Left is now faced with the challenge of continuing to be relevant at the national level in the face of declining influence in election after election.

Though the Left's liberal-progressive narrative continues to appeal within a rights-based framework and it is still seen as spearheading the agenda on issues ranging from environment, gender and labour issues, it seems to be finding it tough to translate that core base into votes.



In fact, the writing has been on the wall for some time. For instance, the severe setback for CPI(ML) in Bihar assembly polls last year, when its tally plummeted from 12 seats to a mere two, brought into focus its increasing inability to retain its strongholds. The defeat in Kerala also raises the possibility of the Left losing some influence within the opposition's INDIA bloc.

In Kerala, the stakes were high for the LDF right from the outset due to anti-incumbency and the perception that the vote was a referendum on Pinarayi Vijayan. Vijayan created history in 2021 as the first CM in the state to be re-elected after a full five-year term. Earlier to that, the state has had a four-decade-old tradition of alternating govts.

In a high-pitched battle with a resurgent Congress-led UDF, both sides engaged in scathing attacks. BJP-led NDA's attempts to expand its footprint beyond traditional pockets also played a role in pushing the LDF to the ropes.

In West Bengal, the CPM, which led the state govt for 34 years from 1977 to 2011, won just one seat. Last time, they had none. In Assam, where the Left parties - CPM, CPI and CPI(ML) fought as part of the Congress-led alliance, failed to open their account. In Tamil Nadu, where the Left parties fought as part of the DMK-led alliance, they won four seats.

Refusing to see the poll outcome as a reflection on the growing irrelevance of the Left, CPM general secretary M A Baby conceded that despite having an organisational presence, impact was not getting converted to support in the electoral arena. "In the upcoming Polit Bureau and Central Committee meetings, there will be introspection on the reasons that led to the defeat of the LDF in Kerala and take corrective measures".
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