The results of the Lok Sabha elections have dealt a blow to the Left parties which have already been on the decline across the country. The CPI(M) has lost its last bastion of Kerala where it is trailing in all seats it contested.
In 2014, the party had nine seats and the CPI one. By 12 pm on Thursday, both parties together were leading only in five seats. This is a steep fall from the 2004 high of 59 seats. Both the parties are struggling to provide a credible justification for this decimation.
In the run up to the elections, the Left parties struggled to find allies. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury proposed to the Congress a “no-contest policy” in West Bengal. The Congress snubbed his proposal and going one step ahead fielded their party president Rahul Gandhi from Wayanand which swept away all the hopes that the CPI(M) had from Kerala too.
Barring Alazpuzha, the Left was trailing in all the seats. The CPI(M)’s internal assessment was that they would get at least seven seats.
All eyes were trained on Begusarai in Bihar where the Left hoped for a miracle with CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar. While Mr. Kumar ruled the news cycle, he could not get enough votes to sail through. He was trailing at a distant second to Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh.
Tamil Nadu is the only exception as the Left was ahead in four seats.
