Party or people to blame for election defeat? CPM report avoids controversies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM secretariat prepared a political report to be presented to the state committee without deciding whether the party or the people were to blame for the defeat in the assembly elections. The state committee meeting will be held from 13 to 15 this month in Kozhikode. The report only includes the lapses in the selection of candidates, including in Payyannur and Taliparamba.

The report does not mention the fact that the party members did not vote for the Left candidate. Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan had put the blame on people in both constituencies. General Secretary MA Baby had responded that Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan's speech was related to a specific constituency. State Secretary MV Govindan defended Pinarayi's speech by saying that it was in accordance with the central committee report.

However, it is indicated that none of these remarks was included in the report of the larger state committee. The central committee and the state committee had earlier prepared an election review report. Meanwhile, CPM Politburo member A. Vijayaraghavan said that the leaders and the ranks should share the responsibility for the election defeat in Kerala.

“There are many factors for the defeat. The party is not investigating to implicate anyone. There is no need to respond to media interpretations. The reasons for the failure include limitations at the administrative and organisational levels and communal collusion against the party,” said A Vijayaraghavan.