LEFT IN THE LURCH

In the aftermath of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Kerala’s political landscape has witnessed a seismic shift, leaving the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its allies in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) reeling from an unexpected electoral blow.

- Jeemon Jacob

The defeat has not only shaken the party’s confidence, but also sparked intense introspection within its ranks, as it searches for a new strategy to counter the rising tide of anti-incumbency. So much so that, in an unprecedented move, the CPI(M) leadership has openly censured the performance of the Pinarayi Vijayan government that has ruled the state since 2016, urging it to refocus on welfare measures and adopt a more people friendly approach.

The CPI(M)’s performance in Kerala, a state long considered its bastion, was nothing short of disastrous. Out of 20 Lok Sabha seats, the party managed to clinch only one—Alathur—where K. Radhakrishnan, a popular state minister, defeated sitting Congress MP Ramya Haridas by 20,000-plus votes. This solitary victory provides little solace to the chief minister, who had led the LDF to a resounding victory in the 2021 assembly polls, securing 99 out of the state’s 140 seats—despite a poor showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.