Kollam: Looking for a third term next year, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or the CPI(M), is banking on a ‘New Kerala’ plan that emphasises on showcasing the development since the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power in 2016.
It also includes the strengthening of the party’s media outreach and strategising its policies for a growing middle class in the lone Left-ruled state in the country.
The party came up with the blueprint for the ‘New Kerala’ plan for returning to power for a historic third term at its 24th State Congress underway from 6 to 9 March in Kollam district.
Though Kerala alternately voted for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the LDF won a historical second term in 2021 by winning 99 out of the 140 seats in the assembly.
With the local body elections months away and the state going to polls in 2026, the LDF is hoping for another tenure while also formulating strategies to counter the anti-incumbency sentiment and checking the influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kerala has 1,200 local body organisations including 941 gram panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 87 municipalities, and 6 corporations.
Addressing the media, party general secretary M.V. Govindan said the blueprint presented by CPI(M) politburo and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the first day of the summit focuses on the party’s vision to uplift the quality of life of the people to that of developed nations.
Govindan said the LDF government will focus on creating job opportunities and promoting responsible investments. The blueprint touches on the interventions made for the progress of Kerala since 2016, while also focusing on the failure of the previous UDF regime to bring any significant development initiatives, he added.
The Oommen Chandy-led UDF dispensation, he alleged, was reluctant to take up the widening of National Highway 66 or drawing power lines to get more power from the Kudankulam plant which resulted in power cuts.
To showcase its investment potential, the LDF administration held a two-day Invest Kerala Global Summit at Kochi in February which received Expression of Interest (EoIs) for investments worth Rs 1,52,905.67 cr from 374 companies. It had also conducted over 40 sector specific conclaves prior to the summit in Kochi.
“The government is trying to improve the quality of life of Keralites to that of developed nations. The Congress was aiming to develop the lives of Adanis and Ambanis. The rich get richer, and the poor remain poor. But we want to uplift everyone. We are confident that the LDF will get another term in the elections next year,” Govindan said.
At a time when the Congress accused the party of going soft on the BJP, Govindan said the CPI(M) will convey to the voters the attitude of the central government that denied even the rightful aid following the 2024 Wayanad landslides.
The party is exploring alternate options to overcome the financial stress due to the Centre’s treatment and will consider increasing revenue resources, he said, adding that the government might consider levying a fee for some services based on the income.
The party’s organisation report found that it was able to win the second time due to its progressive outlook and for the government’s strong interventions during many crises such as the pandemic and natural calamities, the politburo member said.
Party leader and its candidate for the just concluded Palakkad bypoll P. Sarin told ThePrint that the party will be focusing on overcoming the false perception of anti-incumbency sentiment created by the media.
He said the party will be strengthening its campaign, including in the booth levels to convey to its voters the party’s vision for Kerala. “We feel the people would provide us an opportunity.”
CPI(M) Alappuzha district secretary R. Nasar told ThePrint that the party will increase its outreach measures in the coming days to strengthen its bond with the public and to show the party’s unity.
Joseph C. Mathew, a state-based political analyst, said the CPI(M) is using the conference to showcase the LDF government’s activities.
“Earlier, the conference was a venue to critically analyse if the government was functioning based on the party’s policy. Now, the executive is himself presenting a document for the way forward and is asking the cadres to follow that,” Joseph said.
By talking about improving the investment climate, he said, the CPI(M) is positioning itself as better than the Congress party, which is currently struggling in the absence of a strong leadership.
Also Read: In bill to establish private universities, an ideological shift by Kerala’s ruling LDF
Growing communal polarisation
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) is also wary of the rise of Right-wing politics in the state. Govindan said the BJP is trying to make electoral victories by tying up with the UDF, which was evident in the Thrissur Lok Sabha elections and the Palakkad bypoll, where the Congress lost its votes.
The party general secretary also attacked the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a UDF ally, for joining hands with fundamental religious groups such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
He noted that though the UDF benefited from this, it would have far-reaching implications for the state. He noted that the minority politics is reaching a new realm as the Christian Association & Alliance For Social Action (CASA) has also announced that they will float a political outfit ahead of the 2026 assembly election.
A pro-BJP outfit, CASA had last week announced that it was exploring to float a ‘purely nationalist’ party ahead of the polls.
“CPI(M) is the primary victim of the Congress, the League, the BJP and the RSS, the Jamaat-e- Islami, and the SDPI. They aim to ally against the CPI(M). That means that CPI(M) can make an influence among minorities,” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: As Congress & BJP demand ban on SFI over ragging row, Pinarayi asks, ‘What about RSS & KSU?’
