Kerala local body poll results: Political parties facing resentment from within

A day after Kerala's local body poll results were declared, its repercussions are felt in almost all political parties in Kerala.

Congress-led United Democratic Front that suffered the major setback by losing to the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and even the BJP-led NDA in many of its strongholds across the state is now witnessing strong resentment from within the party against the leadership. The major criticisms against the party leadership was improper candidate selection by giving priority to favouritisms over winnability factors and massive erosion of minority community votes.

Read: Kerala civic body polls bring cheers and tears for BJP

Groupism among the state leaders and induction of new entrants to the party leadership by ignoring many dedicated long time workers were also being flayed. Many senior leaders including MPs K Muraleedharan and Rajmohan Unnithan have openly flayed the party leadership.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal told a section of media that at present there was no question of any leadership change. He also said that there were certain lapses and those would be corrected ahead of the Assembly polls which are hardly five months away.

BJP state leadership is facing criticisms from within the party. Many senior leaders of like Sobha Surendran came out openly against the present state president K Surendran. But the party leadership failed to sort out the issues. There was also resentment among the party cadres as national leaders did not come for campaign in Kerala even as they came down to Hyderabad for civic polls.

The left-front that recorded a significant victory amidst many adverse factors has also started witnessing party worker's reproval over the Pala Assembly seat in Kottayam district. Rajya Sabha MP Jose K Mani led faction of Kerala Congress (M), which is a new entrant to the LDF, has indeed shown its influence by winning a municipality and many wards for the LDF in the local body elections. He has been eyeing the Pala Assembly seat citing emotional connections as his father K M Mani was holding the seat for over 50 years till his death last year. But Mani C Kappan of NCP, which is with LDF in Kerala, has won the seat in the by-polls after K M Mani's death. NCP leadership countered Jose's statement by clearly stating that it would not spare the seat.

Meanwhile, the state also witnessed clashes between political parties at various parts of North Kerala on Wednesday night and Thursday.