Just when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seemed moving past the controversy over alleged cross voting, a stormy high power committee meeting of the Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] in Kottayam on Wednesday ripped the issue wide open again, with the party bluntly blaming the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] cadre level sabotage for its humiliating Assembly election setback.

The three-hour long meeting also dismissed the counter narrative floated within the LDF that the KC(M) workers had shifted support to the United Democratic Front (UDF) in several constituencies. The party leaders also pointed to electoral trends in seats such as Ettumanur and Vaikom to argue that the erosion had largely come from within the Left camp itself.

“As far as the Ettumanur seat is concerned, the KC(M) has virtually no presence in several panchayats such as Kumarakom and Thiruvarppu. Yet, it was the UDF candidate who secured massive leads in these local bodies. Likewise in Vaikom, the UDF was ahead in almost all panchayats, including areas long considered strongholds of both the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the CPI(M). This clearly points to strong anti incumbency sentiments within the Left cadres themselves,” observed a KC(M) leader who attended the meeting.

According to leaders who spoke at the meeting, several KC(M) candidates appeared to have lost out on a section of committed CPI(M) votes in crucial pockets. Despite the visible bonhomie between the KC(M) and the CPI(M) leaderships during the campaign, the chemistry failed to fully translate at the grassroots level.

Representatives from the Malabar region also pointed to a strong sentiment against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a significant factor that accelerated the anti government swing.

Farmers’ issues

The meeting, meanwhile, also decided to sharpen the party’s focus on farmers’ issues and broader people centric concerns while intensifying political interventions both independently and as part of the LDF collective. The committee also resolved to undertake a detailed post election review. District level meetings are currently under way as part of the assessment process and will be followed by constituency level executive meetings for deeper discussions.

In a bid to revive grassroots engagement, the party plans to organise family gatherings at the panchayat and ward levels while strengthening the activities of its feeder organisations. A party camp will also be held shortly, during which the party is expected to unveil its new political policy document.

Party chairperson Jose K. Mani chaired the meeting. With the party currently lacking a parliamentary wing of elected representatives in either the Assembly or the Lok Sabha, the high power committee has effectively evolved into the principal decision making body of the KC(M).