THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Being reduced to a paltry 26 seats, from its previous 62, in the assembly remains CPM’s biggest concern in Kerala. The Marxist party is equally worried about another significant aspect: a suspected pivot in Left votes to the BJP in the recently concluded assembly elections.
Notwithstanding allegations of a CPM-RSS “deal” by the UDF, ongoing talks within party forums too reflect similar allegations. While the state leadership chose to brush it aside as a mere political ploy, a section of lower-rung activists admit that such remarks are doing the rounds within party circles.
The BJP’s victory in three of LDF’s sitting seats — Nemom (CPM), Kazhakkoottam (CPM) and Chathannoor (CPI) — has now however forced the party to take a serious look into allegations of a pact, at least in some pockets. At the recent Thiruvananthapuram district committee meeting, a leader raised allegations of vote trading in Nemom and Kazhakkoottam.
“One of the district leaders said that Left votes went in bulk to BJP candidates in these two constituencies, as some leaders took money and traded votes. There could be a probe,” a district leader said.
A preliminary assessment based on votes polled by CPM candidates indicates the possibility of a compact in some places, a CPM member of the previous assembly said.
“Data indicates that such an understanding did occur in some pockets. A scrutiny is now on, comparing the votes polled this time and last time and the probability of the remaining votes going to BJP candidates,” said the leader from south Kerala.
Sources said similar allegations have cropped up in other area committees, too. It’s learnt that a senior leader from north Kerala criticised the party for adopting a soft-Hindutva approach on certain issues, thereby alienating minorities, while also failing to attract majority community votes.
“It’s true that Left votes went to not just the UDF but also to the BJP in several places, especially in pockets where the saffron party enjoys sufficient strength,” a state committee member admitted. “It’s an anti-CPM verdict. The so-called impartiality has cost us dearly,” the leader observed.
Meanwhile, a section of the state leadership has rejected the allegation, terming it absurd. “The fact that LDF came second in the three seats shows that there was erosion in UDF votes. It was an understanding between the UDF and the BJP. If not, UDF votes should have remained intact. Why didn’t it happen?” asked another state committee member.
Even as the state party remains mum on the accusations, the central leadership is seriously looking into all aspects, including the erosion of votes.
