The Left in Kerala is grappling with a significant electoral setback, prompting scrutiny of the centralized leadership model dubbed 'Brand Pinarayi' and the campaign strategy centered around Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Despite the party's insistence that it rejects 'cult politics' and that the campaign was not a one-man show, internal debates have emerged.
Party Review Underway
Party general secretary M A Baby announced that a preliminary review of the results is being held on Wednesday and Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram. The comprehensive assessment at the upcoming Politburo and central committee meetings later this month will examine every factor, from organizational gaps to the functioning of the state government.
Collective Effort or One-Man Show?
Refuting the notion that the election was a referendum on Vijayan's governance, Baby asserted that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) contested as a collective. He noted that Vijayan was at the forefront and seen as the party's face due to his two terms as chief minister backed by a decade of governance.
However, there is internal criticism that while the party highlighted its welfare credentials, it underestimated the fallout of the Congress's accusation of a tacit CPM-BJP understanding. This narrative allegedly aided the consolidation of minority votes in favor of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Erosion of LDF Presence
The biggest concern now is the LDF's reduced presence in the assembly, dropping from 94 seats in 2021 to just 35. Sources said, 'In Kerala we have a vibrant organization at every level, and therefore a very thorough review based on feedback will be done.'
Party Before Person: Historical Context
The perception of Vijayan being given a longer leash defies the CPM's traditional 'party before person' ethos. This was starkly illustrated in 1996 when the central committee decided not to allow then-West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu to lead the United Front government as Prime Minister. The CPM argued that participating in a 'bourgeois' coalition government without a majority would hinder left-leaning policies. While many seniors, including then-general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, supported Basu, a powerful hardline faction voted against the move. Basu accepted the decision silently but later called it a 'historical blunder' and a missed opportunity for Indian communists to influence national politics.
Sources who witnessed the Basu era are quick to highlight that he was a taller leader than Vijayan, yet even he was not allowed to breach the party line by the central committee. The indications are clear that Vijayan's governance and tenure will not go unscrutinized in the upcoming reviews.
