‘No Himalayan defeat in local body polls, CM has not taken any unilateral decision’ 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister V Sivankutty said there was no discussion at any Left venues that anti-government sentiment was behind the setback in the local body elections. It is a wrong assessment. The chief minister has not taken any decision unilaterally. What is happening is a wrong propaganda, the minister told the media.

The campaign is being carried out to create misunderstandings in the LDF. There was no Himalayan defeat. The people's mandate is respected. All decisions were taken unanimously. The voting pattern cannot be seen as anti-government sentiment, the minister said.

The CPI had openly stated that anti-government sentiment was the reason for the local body defeat. There was criticism that anti-government sentiment was the reason and that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was acting as a one-man army. There was criticism at the CPI meeting that if there is no solution after introspection, the defeat will be repeated in the upcoming assembly elections.

In the context of the heavy setback suffered in the local body elections, the state secretariats of the CPM and the CPI, which met hours apart, took different stances. While state secretary M V Govindan was explaining the stand of the CPM state secretariat that met in the morning at 4 pm, CPI state secretariat members were pointing fingers at Pinarayi at the M N Memorial. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam opened the way for a new political controversy.