KOCHI/T’PURAM : Having lost its face in the Thrikkakara assembly byelection, CPM will conduct an internal inquiry into the reasons behind its humongous defeat. If the mood within the party is anything to go by, the local leadership will have some serious explaining to do. A decision in this regard was taken at the district secretariat meeting held in Kochi for two hours on Saturday. Minister and CPM central commitee member P Rajeeve, the mastermind behind the LDF campaign in Thrikkakara, attended the meeting along with former MLA M Swaraj.
The district leadership is expected to submit its report before the state leadership within a week. “The district leadership will submit a detailed report on the vote share and comparison with CPM votes polled in 2021. The party is also looking into the huge difference between the projected margin and the final figures,” said a local leader. The general mood within the party is certainly against the district committee and the masterminds behind CPM’s campaigning.
“The party knew it was a losing fight, given the peculiarities of the constituency. However, this huge loss was beyond our estimate. The figures given by the district committee to the state committee were in no way connected to the ground realities,’’ a state committee member told TNIE. “There is certainly some disconnect and leaders who were in charge will have to explain that,” he added. Going by the 2021 example, when major disciplinary action was taken against 12 senior leaders after the assembly elections, a similar move is likely this time too.
In 2021, C K Mani Shankar and K D Vincent faced action based on the report by Gopi Kottamurickal who probed the party’s defeat in Tripunithura and Thrikkakara assembly constituencies. While Mani Shankar was dropped from the district committee, Vincent, the secretary of the Vyttila area committee, was stripped of all elected positions in the party. Local leaders said the district leadership’s decision to reduce the number of area committees in Ernakulam from 20 to 16 last year played a role in the defeat too.
CPM Ekm dist leaders blame ‘Bengal-model conspiracy’
Thrikkakara constituency used to part of Vyttila and Kalamassery area committees. Now, it falls under Thrikkakara committee. Four committees — Vyttila, Mulanthuruthy, Alangad and Nedumbassery — were scrapped. Meanwhile, the district leaders on Saturday tried to put up a brave face in front of the media and attributed the defeat to a “Bengal-model conspiracy” orchestrated by the UDF.
“We have learnt that the UDF had established a covert alliance with the BJP, SDPI and Twenty20 when we reviewed the booth-by-booth voting data. Their major goal was to defeat the LDF at all costs,” CPM Ernakulam district secretary C N Mohanan said. He refuted the criticism that the selection of candidature and campaign carried out by the CM along with other ministers resulted in the defeat.
“The district committee was in charge of the campaign. As part of the party’s decision, the Chief Minister and other ministries participated for the campaign.’’ He also pointed out that the party could gain 2,244 more votes in comparison to the previous election.
Cong young turks engineer bypoll win
Active leadership role taken up by young Congress leaders helped party win the Thrikkakara bypoll
Youth Congress state head and MLA Shafi Parambil led the team comprising YC vicepresidents K S Sabarinadhan and Rijil Makutty and scores of YC and KSU workers
MPs Hibi Eden, Remya Haridas, Jebi Mather and Dean Kuriakose besides MLAs Anwar Sadath, P C
Vishnunadh, Roji M John, Eldhose Kunnappilly and C R Mahesh also worked hard
They gave thrust on doorto- door meetings and pushingweaker booths to the forefront