KANNUR: The ‘Janakeeya Prathirodha Jatha’ led by CPM state secretary M V Govindan has attracted tens of thousands of people to public meets in Kasaragod and Kannur. The initial draw has gladdened the party leadership, which was evident from Govindan’s body language. Exuding confidence, he remained unfazed even when faced with difficult questions posed by the media.
Despite such a good beginning, there are many, including party members, who are yet to be convinced about the timing of the yatra, as the Lok Sabha polls are still a good one year away.
Despite 2023 being an election-free year, Govindan chose to take out a march due to many reasons, feel political observers. The peripheral reason doing the rounds is that the party needs reinvigoration under the new state secretary. However, core reasons too exist. Sources said the feedback the party received during its recent state-wide house visits, has left the CPM worried.
Going by the feedback, there are many areas where the party and the government need to improve. Many people expressed disappointment over the performance of the government and the party. Some even raised concerns about the lack of performance in local bodies. Sources pointed out that some party cadres are disenchanted over the LDF government’s second term. Under such circumstances, the party evaluated that waiting for another year to reinvigorate the cadres would actually prove disastrous.
The yatra is primarily aimed at energising the party through inner-party communications, observed political commentator N M Pearson. “It’s true that the feeedback from people, especially party sympathisers, contained a lot of criticism,” he said.
However, the march serves two purposes. One is to assert Govindan’s leadership as state secretary and to win the confidence of middle and lower -level leaders and cadres. “The second one is to address the concerns raised by cadres and party sympathizers through grassroots-level interactions,” he said.
The northern districts have given the yatra the much-needed impetus. People were seen thronging in large numbers at each venue. However, the party has decided to tread cautiously as the march is about to enter another crucial phase.
With a slew of allegations coming up, including LDF convener and senior leader E P Jayarajan staying away from the march, the party has taken a cautious approach to maintain the initial momentum.
The CPM knows that its opponents will not spare any opportunity to downplay the initial success of the yatra. The UDF has been trying to corner the party with a slew of allegations, including the charge of ‘quotation mafia’ against the government. However, Govindan seems confident that the thousands of party supporters gathering at each venue would be the ideal answer to the critics.