On evaluating the recent Lok Sabha poll result in the state, the CPI-M in Kerala has found that the basic Left votes drifted away from the party and a large chunk of these votes went into the kitty of the BJP.

In the review report approved by the CPI-M state committee, it has reportedly been stated that the basic votes of the party have substantially gone to the BJP. In places where the BJP has no influence, the CPI-M votes have gone to the BJP.

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Even without campaigning on the part of the saffron party, the Left’s basic votes had gone to the BJP, the review report reportedly says. The increase in the vote share of the BJP in party strongholds and party villages is a matter that is worrisome for the CPI-M in Kerala.

In such a situation, the CPI-M State Committee has given direction to the lower committees to give priority to take steps to arrest the growth of the BJP in party strongholds and other places.

In this connection, in the backdrop of substantial erosion of Left votes in Kerala, especially among the lower strata of the society, the CPI-M national leadership has asked the state wing of the party to reach out to the people and win back their confidence.

The national leadership has asked the state leaders of the party to examine whether anti-incumbency against the LDF government in the state had an impact on the Lok Sabha election outcome.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker A N Shamseer have drawn severe flak for their close ties with some businessmen at the CPI-M Thiruvananthapuram district committee meeting.

Some leaders have come out against the Chief Minister’s style of functioning. “He has not been in touch with the masses. He has been keeping away from people,” they said. The allegations against the Chief Minister’s daughter also came in for criticism in the committee meeting.

Some members raised the issue of criticism against Speaker AN Shamseer for his alleged links with businessmen. They pointed out that the Speaker visited the house of a businessman who has no links with the party. This person reportedly has close links with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son, they said.