Thiruvananthapuram: Jolted by the drubbing it
received in three Assembly by-elections in Kerala at the
hands of the Congress, the CPI(M) state secretariat has sought
detailed reports on the erosion in party votes.
What seems to have especially shaken party leaders is the
huge margin of victory of former comrade and two-time MP from
Kannur, A P Abdullakutty over his LDF rival.
Higher winning margins of Congress candidates in Kannur as
well as in Ernakulam compared to 2006 Assembly polls and the
recent Lok Sabha polls have also heightened their worry.
The party has been taken aback by the vote erosion in many
panchayats in the constituency, which were its strongholds.
Muslim consolidation in favour of UDF is another issue on
which the party will have to think, party sources said.
Abdullakutty, expelled from CPI-M just a few months back,
joined the Congress recently and won from Kannur.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who during his campaign
stated that the poll would be an evaluation of the LDF
government's performance, has now backtracked saying votes for
the Front in these constituencies had gone up.
In sharp contrast, the mood in the UDF camp is upbeat as
the win is a double bonanza, coming after its sterling show in
the May 2008 polls, where it bagged 16 of the 20 seats.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 15:44