Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Left parties to do serious introspection on reasons behind debacle

The Left parties would also be doing necessary course correction and rectification to strengthen the party after an "in-depth" review in the coming days.

New Delhi: CPI(M) and CPI on Monday (May 11) described the defeat of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala Assembly election as a "serious setback" and "cause of concern" and vowed to conduct "serious introspection" on the reasons behind the debacle as also on the BJP registering victories in three seats.

After a two-day Polit Bureau meeting here, CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby said the LDF suffered a "serious setback" in Kerala after ten years of continuous rule while describing the BJP's victory in West Bengal riding on a "communal, divisive and vitriolic hate campaign" and the misuse of Election Commission and other central agencies as a "major blow".

Baby told a press conference that necessary course correction and rectification will be made to strengthen the party after an "in-depth" review in the coming days to identify the "weaknesses responsible for this setback".

On Kerala, he said the conduct of the Congress, which made "baseless allegations and spreading canards" against the CPI(M) along with its "soft approach" towards communal forces, contributed to the growth of the BJP in Kerala.

Baby said the BJP was benefitted in West Bengal from the strong anti-incumbency against the "corrupt and authoritarian" Trinamool Congress government. "Together with the re-election of the BJP in Assam with an increased majority, we notice an ascendancy of Hindutva-communal, right-wing forces," he said.

Referring to Tamil Nadu, he said the BJP and its allies tried to "sabotage" the electoral verdict in Tamil Nadu by using the Governor’s office and tried their best to prevent the formation of a government led by TVK's Vijay. When all their attempts failed, he said, the Governor was forced to swear him in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Baby said they had taken DMK into confidence while announcing support for TVK. Asked the rationale behind the CPI(M) not joining the Tamil Nadu government, Baby said it was not proper for them to join the TVK government as they had fought the elections under the DMK alliance. He also said there was no discussion in the Polit Bureau on the choice of Leader of Opposition in Kerala.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said the defeat of the LDF despite taking pro-people measures was a cause of concern for the Left and democratic movement in the country. "However, these achievements could not get directly translated into electoral support due to several political and material factors," he said.

He said the National Council, which met here during the weekend, decided that a "detailed and in-depth analysis of the electoral setback" would be undertaken collectively by all constituents of the LDF as well as by the CPI Kerala State Council. 

"The erosion of the independent vote base of the Left is a matter of serious concern and would be examined objectively, scientifically and unitedly in order to overcome the present crisis and re-establish the Left as the fountain-head of ideological, secular and principled governance in Kerala once again," he said.