Kerala | What prompted CPI(M) leadership to give up Rajya Sabha seats for allies

The CPI(M) state leadership’s decision to allot the upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancies to the CPI and the Kerala Congress (M) reflects the mindset of the party's think tank following their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the media, LDF Convener EP Jayarajan stated that the CPI(M) has a different perspective “as it is considerate to its allies”. He explained, “Therefore, we understand our allies’ sentiments and have decided to allocate our seat to the KCM. The other seat will be given to the CPI. “Both the CPI and KCM had failed to win the Lok Sabha seats they contested this time. While CPI lost four of its seats, KCM lost Kottayam which was their constituency when they were part of the UDF.”

The significant loss and the shift of votes from the Left parties to the BJP have caused a severe shock to the party, even though the leadership has yet to determine the extent and possible reasons for it. The level of despair is quite visible, from the grassroots level party worker to the central leadership. The party's politburo, in its post-poll communique, expressed disappointment at the CPI(M)’s performance, especially in Kerala.

Yet to assess situation

“An in-depth introspection will be undertaken by the party on the basis of the reviews conducted by the respective state party units,” reads the communique, which claims the election result constitutes a significant setback for the BJP. While acknowledging the people of India for asserting their defence of the Constitution and the secular democratic character of the republic, the Polit Bureau has not delved into the possible reasons for the debacle of the party in West Bengal or Kerala.

Some party leaders are somewhat disappointed that the party's politburo which met after the elections, did not properly assess the situation or publicly announce their plans to do so, leaving the party's rank and file in the dark.

“We were anticipating a more thorough and meticulous review from the party’s highest body. This isn't just my personal opinion; many members across various committees also expect a comprehensive introspection. We will definitely bring this up within our party committee,” said a mid-level party functionary from Thrissur.

“There are both obvious and subtle reasons for this debacle. It's not merely due to propaganda from an indifferent right-wing media, although that is a factor; there is more to it. The UDF has never needed to educate the people politically, nor have they historically done so. However, we had the responsibility to guide the public towards better political clarity, especially in these times of right-wing Hindutva dominance,” said the leader, who has also been an active trade unionist.

Call for total overhaul

A call for a total overhaul is gaining momentum within the Left circles, with some even suggesting that Pinarayi Vijayan step down and KK Shailaja take the helm. However, the official party and LDF leadership are not heeding this suggestion.

The party leadership also does acknowledge many reasons of the debacle, including the national political scenario, and the minorities backing the Congress en-bloc. Local Government Minister and CPI(M) leader MB Rajesh had seen this long coming immediately after the controversial speech that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made in Rajasthan, equating the Congress to the Muslims.

“I'm concerned that PM Modi's speech will have a significant impact on us. By instilling fear among minorities and linking them to the Congress, he’s inadvertently bolstering their support, just as it happened in 2019, particularly here in Kerala,” Rajesh had told The Federal in the first week of April.

Following the poll results, various theories have emerged both within and outside the party, alleging an overreliance on the Muslim vote bank and taking sides in Sunni factionalism. Some even blame the party’s focus on anti-CAA and anti-Israel protests for polarising majority community votes in favour of the BJP. The CPI(M) leadership, however, dismisses these claims, asserting that they were simply upholding left ideological positions.

Leadership in denial mode

While some of the party leaders remain open-minded about reasons for their setback, the top state leadership is reluctant to accept a significant wave of anti-incumbency across the state. They dismiss this as media fabrication or a tactic by the right-wing to alienate people from them. Despite, the undeniable fact that welfare pensions suffered due to financial constraints, the party and government chose to remain in denial. This is evident in the sharp reaction of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to the Left-leaning Jacobite Bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilose for cautioning against further debacles.

The bishop’s warning, suggesting that there wouldn't be any natural disasters like floods or COVID-19 to save the government again, along with his critique of the politics of freebies, provoked a strong response from the chief minister. He retorted, suggesting there might even be brainless individuals among bishops.

Interestingly, there were multiple media reports that the party leaders voiced this concern in the state secretariat meeting held last week. But the CPI(M) leaders chose not to carry it outside.

“Our commitment lies solely with the people. We are willing to listen to all criticisms and opinions patiently and make necessary adjustments accordingly. That's our approach. We have no interest in paying heed to the biased narratives of the media and their malicious campaigns,” said V. Vaseef, the DYFI leader who contested from Malappuram.

Although the CPI and CPI(M) state leaderships met post-election, a thorough review didn't occur as they were preoccupied with the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Speculations are rife that if the CPI(M) and CPI share the two available seats for the LDF in the Rajya Sabha, smaller coalition members KCM and RJD might consider switching sides. The Congress leadership has been seen discussing the potential return of KCM, though top leaders have differing opinions.

Accommodating allies

However, in a surprising move, the CPI(M) gave up its own seat to accommodate the KCM. This was uncharacteristic of the party, which typically does not forgo such opportunities when more than one seat is available for the Rajya Sabha.

Previously, there have been instances of smaller parties departing from the LDF over the issue of Rajya Sabha seats. In 2009, the LJD, led by the late MP Veerendra Kumar, left for this reason, while in 2014, the LDF's national-level partner, the Leftist party RSP, also exited the coalition.

However, this time, the situation was different. The CPI(M) realised early on that the unity of the LDF party was crucial at this juncture, understanding that any departure could be detrimental to the coalition.

Many observers, including some within the party, have analysed the situation extensively. They attribute the election results to factors such as anti-incumbency, low morale among the working class, and outdated party functioning methods. Additionally, disenchantment among certain sections exacerbated the situation. It's evident that the party needs to delve deeper to identify the exact reasons and undergo a significant overhaul to bounce back in the upcoming by-elections and next year's local self-government elections.