Thiruvananthapuram: Despite suffering a significant setback in the recent Local Self-Government elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership has staunchly maintained that the disappointing results are not a reflection of anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
However, a closer look at the local body results, projected across the 140 Assembly segments, paints a concerning picture for the ruling coalition and undermines the CPM’s official stance.
According to the segment-wise analysis, the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) managed to gain a lead in 80 Assembly constituencies. In stark contrast, the LDF could secure a lead in only 58 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a lead in two segments.
Nine Ministers Suffer Home Constituency Defeats
The most alarming statistic for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led ministry is the loss of a majority lead in the home constituencies of nine key cabinet ministers.
The ministers whose Assembly segments saw the LDF trail the opposition in the local polls are:
- Ramachandran Kadannappally
- O. R. Kelu
- M. B. Rajesh
- P. Rajeev
- Roshy Augustine
- Veena George
- Ganesh Kumar
- V. Abdurahiman
- V. Sivankutty
In a further blow, Minister V. Sivankutty’s Nemom constituency saw the BJP take the lead, while the UDF swept the remaining eight ministers’ segments.
Narrow Escapes for Finance and PWD Ministers
Even ministers who managed to hold a lead in their own seats scraped through with marginal victories, highlighting the thin thread of support.
Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal secured a lead of merely 144 votes in his Kottarakkara constituency. Similarly, Public Works Minister P. A. Mohammed Riyas’s Beypore constituency saw the LDF cling to a narrow lead of just 1,340 votes.
Political observers view the local body election results as a crucial precursor to the upcoming Assembly elections. Given the heavy losses in key constituencies, particularly those held by sitting cabinet ministers, the ruling party’s insistence that there is no underlying anti-incumbency sentiment is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.
