Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had “scapegoated” its State secretary, M.V. Govindan, for the Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s Assembly election debacle, allegedly without accepting “collective leadership failure and disconnect with the people”, including the party’s rank-and-file. 

Fielding questions from reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mr Satheesan said the CPI(M)’s extended State committee, which concluded in Kozhikode on Tuesday, seemed to “deny the real reasons” for the LDF’s “historic defeat”.

“The meeting seemed an exercise to insulate the apex leadership from blame for the debacle and single out individuals for censure”, Mr Satheesan said. 

Mr Satheesan said the CPI(M)’s core base had eroded and the party had lost its bastions to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). “It’s good for the UDF that the CPI(M) has not learned any lessons from its much-touted organisational introspection, self-criticism and rectification exercise”, Mr Satheesan said. 

Mr Satheesan’s remark came against the background of media reports that the extended CPI(M) State committee, which has set off a rectification and organisational course-correction process from the party lower tier and upwards, had censured Mr Govindan. 

The charges reportedly included flawed candidate selection and mishandling of organisational and political matters. The CPI(M) has reportedly insisted that Mr Govindan serve the organisation as State secretary and spearhead the internal course-correction process. 

Collective process: Baby

CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby insisted on Wednesday that the rectification process was “collective, and not individual-based.” He said the extended State committee stressed collective leadership and responsibility.

Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Leader of the Opposition, said the meeting, followed by a mammoth public rally had given a new impetus to the party. 

Notably, the CPI(M) State committee meeting resolved to oppose what it termed the pro-Corporate, anti-people and Hindu majoritarian nationalist agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre. It also resolved to oppose the UDF government’s “neo-liberal” economic policies, which prioritise market forces over building social capital by providing housing, better schools and hospitals, and extending and enhancing the social security net.