Kerala Congress (M) clings to ‘cadre shift’ within CPI(M) as reason for poll defeat

Just when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seemed to have overcome the row over alleged cross-voting, a heated Kerala Congress (M) (KC(M)) caucus meeting in Kottayam on Wednesday reopened the issue, with the party bluntly accusing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) of a humiliating election rally that humiliated the cadre.

The three-hour meeting also dismissed the counter-narrative floated in the LDF that KC(M) workers had shifted support to the United Democratic Front (UDF) in several constituencies. Party officials also pointed to electoral trends in seats like Ettumanur and Vaikom to argue that the erosion is largely from the Left camp itself.

“As for the Ettumanur seat, the KC(M) has virtually no presence in several panchayats like Kumarakom and Thiruvarppu. Yet it was the UDF candidate who secured a massive lead in these local bodies. Similarly, in Vaikom, the UDF was ahead in almost all panchayats, including areas long considered strongholds (the CPIM makes it clear that it is anti-Communist Party of India) as well as anti-Indian attitudes within the Left cadres themselves.” remarked a KC(M) leader who attended the meeting.

According to leaders who addressed the meeting, several KC(M) candidates appear to have lost some of the votes cast to the CPI(M) in key pockets. Despite the visible bonhomie between the KC(M) and CPI(M) leadership during the campaign, the chemistry at the grassroots level did not fully materialise.

Representatives from the Malabar region also pointed to strong sentiment against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a significant factor that fueled the anti-government swings.

Farmers’ problems

Meanwhile, the meeting also decided to sharpen the party’s focus on farmers’ issues and broader people-centric concerns while intensifying political interventions both independently and as part of the LDF collective. The committee also decided to conduct a detailed post-election review. District level meetings are currently underway as part of the evaluation process and will be followed by constituency level executive meetings for more in-depth discussions.

In an effort to revive local engagement, the party plans to organize family meetings at the panchayat and ward levels, while strengthening the activities of its feeder organisations. A party camp will also take place soon, during which the party is expected to unveil its new policy document.

The meeting was presided over by party president Jose K. Mani. As the party currently lacks a parliamentary wing of elected representatives in either the Assembly or the Lok Sabha, the High Power Committee has effectively evolved into the main decision-making body of the KC(M).

Published – 27 May 2026 19:23 IST