Parties in Kerala begin post-bypoll internal stocktaking

As election results came on Saturday, BJP arguably appeared less of a force than predicted. Chelakkara win and strong showing in Palakkad have brought a glimmer of cheer to the ruling LDF. Wins in Palakkad and Wayanad have boosted Congress’ confidence

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala have commenced their post-bypoll internal reckonings.  

As the election results tumbled out on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) arguably appeared less of a force than predicted, given the significant erosion of its formidable support base in the Palakkad Assembly bypoll. The BJP could perhaps eke out some dismal consolation in having avoided the third place. The party sensed a fighting chance in Palakkad, where it controlled the local municipality and had in past elections pushed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to the second-runner-up position. However, the LDF improved its vote share notably and narrowed the margin between the second and third positions, to the BJP’s chagrin.

When the BJP top brass convenes on Tuesday for a close-door post-bypoll stocktaking, its State leadership might have only a few wispy straws to grasp to decode the causes for the significant loss of traditional votes, arguably to the Congress primarily, in its urban strongholds in the Palakkad municipality.

Criticism against Surendran

BJP State president K. Surendran might find it punishing to blunt the daggers of his party critics. Notably, a section of the rank and file had tacitly expressed dissatisfaction with the State leadership’s alleged failure to present a united face during candidate selection and stymie the arguably damaging defection of party’s high-profile spokesperson Sandeep Varier to the Congress in the waning days of the bypoll campaign. 

Chelakkara result

In contrast, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)‘s [CPIM)] strong showing in the Chelakkara Assembly bypoll has brought a glimmer of cheer to the ruling LDF. For one, the party’s “robust defence” of its Chelakkara stronghold and “improved” showing in Palakkad appeared to belie the Congress-BJP assumption that the LDF was on an irreversible course for defeat in the 2026 local body and 2027 State Assembly elections. 

In some measure, the CPI(M)‘s win in Chelakkara has arguably cast doubt on the Congress and the BJP’s assertion that a “palpable anti-incumbency anger” against the Pinarayi Vijayan government would drastically lower the LDF’s winning odds in future elections. 

The bypoll results, especially Priyanka Vadra’s emphatic win in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, have buoyed the Congress but raised questions about candidate selection in Chelakkara. The party has also scrambled to counter the LDF’s accusation that a “rainbow coalition” of Muslim fundamentalist organisations and BJP discontents had helped the United Democratic Front (UDF) bag the Palakkad seat. 

Published - November 24, 2024 08:15 pm IST