LDF meeting skips discussion on local body election setback

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) meeting concluded without discussing the significant setback suffered by the front in the local body elections. The meeting was held at a time when anti-incumbency sentiments and other political issues were strongly being discussed in public. However, the agenda of the meeting focused only on voter list revision and the Centre’s bill related to the employment guarantee scheme. It was decided that public sentiment would be reviewed at a meeting to be held in the first week of January, after individual parties in the front complete their internal assessments.

The LDF meeting began at 10 am on Tuesday and concluded by noon. CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan said an overall review of the election performance would be done only after collecting opinions from all parties in the front. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his views would be shared after the CPM state committee meeting scheduled on the 29th. LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan confirmed that the election review had been postponed to the next meeting.

The meeting also decided to hold a statewide protest on the 22nd against the central government’s move to bring a new law affecting the employment guarantee scheme. Kerala Congress (M) said it would continue to stand firmly with the LDF and face the Assembly elections together. Party chairman Jose K. Mani said the party would not leave the front despite the setback, adding that the UDF was inviting them only because their cadre remained united.

The meeting also discussed the issue of film screenings being blocked at the International Film Festival. Earlier, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam had said in a party executive meeting that anti-incumbency was the main reason for the defeat, but this view was not raised in the LDF meeting.

The CPM state secretariat had earlier assessed that the election result was not due to public anger against the government, but due to other factors, and expressed confidence of winning the Assembly elections again. However, CPI and other allies had warned that without a serious review of the defeat and without understanding public sentiment, the LDF could face a similar setback in the Assembly polls. They had also said the CPM’s claim that issues like Sabarimala and anti-incumbency did not affect the local body elections did not match ground realities.