What has gone wrong with the Left, particularly the CPM?

By O.J.George

It is high time the Left, particularly the Left, found out the real reason behind the debacle everywhere in the ballot battle.

There is no room for justification of the rout the Left has been facing these days. The Left means essentially the CPM and that party, which has a clear role to play in Kerala and West Bengal politics, should not fritter away the goodwill inbuilt in the minds of sizable sections of people.

Perhaps, a little change in the mindset could correct the degeneration, for which there should be the will to do it.

In Kerala, the CPM used to win by-elections, whereas the C ongress was able to win a by-election only rarely and that too in special political situations.
Now it has lost all the three bypolls in Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha. Did the party err by going overboard in campaign tactics?

No party in Kerala can win an election with its own members and immediate kin. Kerala has a peculiar section of the electorate, which is not that vocal but is clear-headed and decisive about what should be done. It is this section that has been distanced by the party.

The situation in West Bengal is worse, for the CPM could not win a single of the five seats it contested. The Left Front was largely routed, except for a single win of a minuscule party. Trinamul-Congress combine won nine seats of the total 10.

Already there is clamour for a snap election in West Bengal by elements within the Left Front. Fisheries Minister Kiranmoy Nanda of the Socialist Party has called for fresh elections without waiting for the schedule in 2011. RSP says there should be discussion about it. Forward Bloc may not want to cling on if the CPM takes the decision for a snap poll.

But Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who betrays courage, says the by-election results are temporary phenomena. People had permanently decided to offer a five-year term for his government which should lead them till 2011. There can be any argument for clinging on.

No doubt, something is drastically wrong with the approach of the party, which should be offered a course correction, if need be.

The CPM has all along been discussing at various fora the need for corrective measures; no doubt it should not lose time in implementing the measures.