KOCHI: As the LDF faced the biggest loss in recent times, suffering defeat in all 14 constituencies in the district, the CPM district leadership has decided to evaluate the results at the booth level and strengthen the organisation.
According to the party leadership, the shift in voting pattern, after the Kitex-backed Twenty20 joined the BJP-led NDA, led to the defeat of the front. Earlier in 2001 too, the CPM faced a setback in the assembly elections, winning only in Perumbavoor.
S Satheesh, CPM Ernakulam district secretary, said that the party is evaluating the results. “We have made a primary assessment of the election results. In the coming weeks, we will look into the results at the booth level to understand the voting patterns and reasons for the defeat, especially in constituencies where we have a strong presence,” he said.
The NDA votes polled in favour of the UDF turned decisive as it resulted in the LDF’s rout in the sitting seats in the district. The Left front had as many as five MLAs from the district in the assembly from 2021 to 2026: P Rajeeve from Kalamassery, K N Unnikrishnan representing Vypeen, Antony John in Kothamangalam, K J Maxy from Kochi and P V Sreenijin in Kunnathunad.
The Twenty20 party too had a strong presence in Kochi, Vypeen, and Kunnathunad, leading to the victory of the LDF candidates. Meanwhile, the Congress candidate wrested the Vypeen for the first time since its formation in 2011.
Two other constituencies — Kochi and Kothamangalam — were represented by CPM MLAs for the past two terms. “The UDF has been alleging a deal and understanding between the Left and the NDA. However, it is now evident that there has been a deal between the UDF and the NDA. The Twenty20 and BJP votes have been polled in favour of the UDF. The booth level work will help strengthen the party’s organisational set-up in Ernakulam,” he said.
In the 2021 elections, the Twenty20 party had contested in eight constituencies in the district and dented UDF’s chances in Kunnathunad, Kochi, Kothamangalam and Vypeen.