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4 min readThiruvananthapuramMay 7, 2026 10:32 PM IST
The CPI(M) said it would hold meetings across the state. (File Photo)
To get to the root of the Left Democratic Front’s electoral debacle in the Kerala Assembly elections, the CPI(M) on Thursday said it would hold meetings across the state, where party workers would be encouraged to speak out without hesitation.
Four days after the election results were announced, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said, “The setback is unprecedented. In the next one and a half months, the entire organisation will discuss the issue at various levels… Comrades can open up in the meetings. When they speak, there will not be any interference. Leaders will hear them with patience. Based on the debates, the factors behind the debacle will be identified and necessary corrections made.”
Amid the speculation on whether outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will assume office as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Baby said, “The matter has not been discussed in the party. It will be discussed at the appropriate time, and a decision will be taken.”
Vijayan on Thursday broke his silence after an LDF meeting that he chaired. In a statement, he said, “For the LDF, this verdict is not an end, but a new beginning for continued political work. We remain committed to regaining the people’s confidence. There is no doubt that the developmental projects and welfare measures of the past 10 years have brought major changes.”
Vijayan said the LDF has decided to conduct a comprehensive review of the election results and hear the opinions of all party workers. Concerns, opinions, and criticisms raised by the public and party workers after the election results will be examined with utmost seriousness, he said. “Decisions will be taken after listening to everyone’s views. Any shortcomings in the LDF’s positions and interventions will also be democratically reviewed, and necessary corrections will be made,” he said.
LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan said the defeat would be subjected to scrutiny by all parties in the alliance. “We do not think that there was an anti-incumbency factor against the government. A lot of developmental work had been done. We have not arrived at any conclusion. The LDF has also not come to the conclusion that minority consolidation worked against it. There had been attempts on the part of the UDF and the BJP for such a consolidation. There are many views. Let all opinions come out,” he said.
While some reports claimed that LDF partner CPI had demanded that a new leader should assume the office of Leader of Opposition, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said, “It is the prerogative of the CPI(M), which is leading the LDF. CPI has no intention to meddle in [the decision regarding the Opposition leader].”
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Past reviews
Following the party’s dismal performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the party had said that it failed to gauge the mood of the people and their preferences.
The CPI(M) Central Committee, in its review of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in which the LDF won just one seat out of 20 seats in Kerala, said, “The estimates of votes we expect from each constituency, before polling and after polling, show a wide gap with the actual results. This shows the party units were unable to gauge the mood of the people or their preferences. This weakening of the party’s live links with the people has to be corrected.”
That was not too different from the party’s analysis after the 2019 Lok Sabha election results, which also saw the party win just one seat. In that review, the party had said, “… even after polling, comrades in Kerala were hopeful of getting a majority of seats. However, we lost a majority of the seats by a margin of around a lakh or more votes. Why we failed to understand the mood of the people is a matter of serious concern. The state committee should take appropriate steps to rectify the mistakes and shortcomings.”
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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