- The Left ideology or Communism has had its share of run over the last few decades. Still, it is gradually slipping away, courtesy of anachronistic ideology that has no place in the vastly altered world. The state of Kerala is the last bastion of the Left Front, holding fort for the last ten years. However, the recently held local body elections have showcased how the firm foothold of the Left in the Communist-led state is also on the wane, with the less heralded National Democratic Alliance fronted by the Bharatiya Janata Party making a definite presence, much against the popular perception. The moot point to ponder over here is whether the formidable Left Front has entered a stage where it becomes increasingly difficult to hold onto the position.
PC: Times of India
- Does it mean there is a place available for the third front, like the NDA/BJP, to pitch a tent permanently by impressing upon the electorate with renewed vigour? Looks like the NDA will take heart from a decent enough showing in the recently concluded local body elections. The NDA winning Kerala state capital municipality signals there are indeed takers for the third front in the Left’s last state. Nothing screamed anti-incumbency more than the results of Kerala’s local body elections. Pinarayi-led LDF, 10 years in government, and having lorded over local bodies for decades, was turfed out by the main opposition Congress-led UDF. But it is in losing the state capital municipal corporation – held by LDF for 45 years – that the election really turned heads.
PC: x.com
- NDA trounced the Left in Thiruvananthapuram, winning 50 of 101 wards, against LDF’s 29 and UDF’s 19. In last year’s Lok Sabha election, BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar lost to four-time MP Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram by a mere 1.7% votes. Even with the caveat that LS dynamics cannot be conflated with factors that win civic polls, the fact is optics of BJP’s capital win suggest the party will be looking to make further gains in the LS seat Thiruvananthapuram’s seven assembly segments, and beyond, in the 140-seat legislative polls slated months away. The 2021 assembly poll tally was LDF 99, UDF 41. NDA won Thrissur. Opposition UDF would have been even more upbeat over its local body victories had NDA not emerged as a third front.
PC: The Hindu
- Kerala has mostly had bipolar coalition contests. Smaller, personality-led, hyperregional, or faith-based parties have switched sides in the past. So, a third front makes the going that much more jittery for all parties. Pinarayi has long made India’s only Left-governed state into a showcase for personality-led politics. Losing Kerala will push Left parties, no matter their presence by way of vote shares, further to the margins everywhere. Welfare-based electoral politics and social justice are everyone’s baby today. The BJP-led NDA will be enthused by the turn of events, and with its known impressive election machinery working overtime, would leave no stone unturned in making further inroads into the Left bastion of Kerala.
