R Selvaraj, the unassuming ‘renegade’-turned comrade from the southern tip of Kerala can heave a sigh of relief. He has won the battle of his life. This time, his fate was to defeat the party in which he was a foot soldier for more than four decades.
By rewriting his destiny in the battle, Selvaraj proved himself a hard nut leaving his mentors and one-time friends bruised and licking their wounds. The moot question is where the CPM stands now after the humiliating defeat at the hands of its old comrade. Immediately after the election results were out, leaders of all parties came up with their view points, interpreting the victory and defeat to suit their convenience.
But the fact remains that the LDF , especially the CPM, cut a sorry figure with its leaders finding it hard to explain their humiliating defeat. The CPM secretariat’s statement, issued immediately after the poll results were announced,was a knee jerk reaction unconvincing even to those who scripted it.
They claimed that they had increased their vote share compared to the votes polled in 2009 Lok Sabha election and the 2010 local body polls. But the statement was silent on the vote it polled in 2011 Assembly elections. The secretariat alleged that the false propaganda by the anti-Left media and efforts by the UDF and the media to thrust the responsibility of the TP Chandrasekharan murder on the LDF contributed to the confusion among the people.
It went on to complain that the UDF Government and its ministers had flooded the voters with promises. But Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan’s statement that the UDF succeeded in turning the tables against the CPM in the backdrop of the TP murder case and CPM Idukki district secretary M M Mani’s revelations on listed killings had damaged the prospects of the LDF candidate remains closer to reality.