A three-day meeting of the CPI(M) Central Committee (CC) to analyse the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha election has cited the failure of the Opposition parties — particularly the Congress — to put up a united front and the lack of an ideological offensive as reasons for the BJP’s extraordinary rise.
Addressing presspersons, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the ideological offensive was not sharp. Barring Tamil Nadu, a united Opposition failed to counter the BJP.
Blames ‘soft Hindutva’
Hitting out at the Congress, he said, “Soft Hindutva is not the answer to hard Hindutva.”
The CC has said in a statement that the campaign to safeguard secularism as against the communal offensive was not conducted.
The party also blamed the Election Commission, which, it said, “contributed” to the BJP’s victory. “We will talk to other Opposition parties and seek to urgently reform the Election Commission so that its template stays neutral and impartial in conduct of elections. By norm, Election Commissioners should not be appointed by the government of the day but by a collegium appointed by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Yechury said.
Not in retreat
The CPI(M) won only three seats in Lok Sabha, its worst-ever performance since it began contesting parliamentary elections. Mr. Yechury however, insisted that the Left was not in retreat. “The right-wing offensive can only be met by a left-wing counter-offensive. Far from being on a retreat or back foot, we believe this is the time for reassertion,” he said.
Mr. Yechury ruled out the possibility of his or any other office-bearer’s resignation. “Resignations are not the answer — it is, in fact, the best exit route for the leader. In fact, rather than resigning, the leaders should set in motion corrective steps.”
The Central Committee has reiterated the stand of the Kerala State Committee that the voters felt the Congress would be in a better position to form an alternative, secular government.
“The correct stand of the LDF government which was bound to implement the Supreme Court judgment on Sabarimala was utilised by the BJP and UDF to create misgivings among a section of believers,” the CC said in a statement.
