Published 15:12 IST, December 17th 2020
Kerala local body elections: Lack of political vigour & factionalism cost Congress dearly
Political pundits in the state have been pointing out the glaring holes in Congress that hurt the party's prospects during Kerala local body elections.
The inability of the Congress-led UDF to churn out a big win in their favour in the Kerala local body polls, despite the series of corruption charges levelled against the ruling CPI(M) has raised questions over the party's credibility to rise to the occasion. Political pundits in the state have been pointing out the glaring holes in the grand old party that hurt the party's prospects during elections. True to their predictions, the Congress-led UDF headed by KPCC President Mulappally Ramachandran has been unable to pull off a win for the party in the most fertile time.
Congress loses in Kerala
For instance, out of the six corporations, the UDF lost 5 in the state. It held on to only one, the Kannur Corporation, a district known to be the citadel of the Communist Party. It lost Thrissur Corporation and Kochi Corporation this time to the Left. The Kochi Corporation, which has been under the UDF for the last ten years has swerved to the Left. The Kochi corporation case itself is important because, no other corporation has this high concentration of Christians, Nairs and Muslims— all of whom are traditional voters of the Congress for many generations. What could worry the Congress is that the traditional voters have voted against them. Also, the loss of the Mayor candidate N Venugopal by one vote in Kochi Corporation North Island ward, an analyst says, is the classic example of bickering within the party. It is been alleged that the partymen themselves have voted against him in favour of BJP candidate, in a ward that has no reason for the saffron party to win.
But what stands as a shining example, a template for the Congress party to get back power was witnessed at the Kannur Corporation. The UDF in Kannur won 34 wards in the district, a feat no ordinary. The credit goes to Kannur MP, K Sudhakaran, the Congress leader who didn't leave the district to work for the party. He also ensured, the allies which include the Muslim League were all rallying behind as one force.
"To take on CPM at their home needs a militant vigour and vitality. Sudhakaran is one of the few leaders who is ready to get his Khadi dirty and work. He is not afraid to work in the grassroots, something most of the Congress workers lag," said political analyst advocate A Jayashankar.
72-year-old K Sudhakar also raised his concern and announced that the Congress Leadership needs a complete overhaul, even at the district level. "These jumbo committees that the party forms doesn't help them," he had told the media. K Sudhakar had earlier tried to get the position of KPCC president but was denied. It is also a known fact that Sudhakar doesn't have a great connection with the Gandhi scions, unlike the current leadership in the state.
Responding to the fate of the Congress in the next Assembly elections, Jayashankar said that inefficiency and lethargy on the leadership right from the national level to the grassroots is likely to take the grand old party to oblivion. If statistics are to go by, since 1995, the party which has swept the local body elections have always won the Legislative Assembly elections. This time, due to COVID pandemic, the gap between the elections have also reduced. If this trend continues, it looks like the CPM will deliver BJP's clarion call of 'Congress Mukt Bharat'.
Updated 15:12 IST, December 17th 2020