'Left's voter base has gone to BJP in several places...' CPI(M) reviews Lok Sabha poll debacle

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Jul 5, 2024, 2:18 PM IST

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is introspected after a poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala. The party won only one out of 20 seats in Kerala, with a decline in vote share compared to 2019.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s central committee, in a post-election analysis of the 2024 Lok Sabha results, observed that in Kerala, where the party suffered a significant defeat, winning only one seat, there has been a notable decline in their traditional support base in several constituencies, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making inroads and eroding their strongholds.

The central committee review also highlighted a significant discrepancy between the party's pre-election projections and the actual results, indicating a disconnect between the party and the people. Furthermore, the review criticized the increasing instances of corruption within local governance bodies, cooperatives, and other levels, emphasizing the need for swift and strict action to address this issue.

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Additionally, the review noted that arrogant behavior by party cadres at all levels is driving people away from the party, and stressed the importance of rectifying these wrong trends and behaviors through a systematic and planned approach.

"A disturbing feature of the election results is the erosion of our traditional base in several constituencies to the BJP. While the main reason for the success of the BJP in Thrissur is the vote it got from the Congress base and a section of the Christians, it is a fact that some of our voting base has gone to the BJP in several places," the document notes.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said in Delhi that there is nothing to comment on beyond what is stated in the report.

A campaign will be conducted at the national level pointing out that the Center is squeezing Kerala economically. A campaign will be conducted at the national level pointing out that the Centre is squeezing Kerala economically.

In Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) suffered a significant setback, winning only one out of 20 seats. Although the party's seat tally remained unchanged from 2019, its vote share decreased by 1.75 percentage points. The party's central committee noted that this decline is even more pronounced over the past decade, with the LDF's vote share dropping by 7 percentage points since 2014, from 40.2% to 33.2% in 2024.

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