'Not the end of road': Kerala Minister Saji Cherian on Left Front's loss in local polls

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 18 Even as the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) grapples with an unfavourable verdict in the recent local body elections, senior party leader and State Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian has struck a note of cautious optimism, insisting that the setback does not signal a terminal decline for the ruling alliance.

Speaking to IANS, Cherian acknowledged that the results were disappointing for the Left, but argued that history suggests such reversals need not be decisive.

Drawing a parallel with the 2010 local body polls, he recalled that the Left had then faced a similar drubbing, only to mount a strong comeback in the subsequent Assembly elections.

“In 2011, the Congress-led UDF won 72 seats in the 140-member Assembly, but we were very close behind. That itself shows that even after a setback, the political space for a comeback exists,” he said.

According to Cherian, the latest verdict offers clear political signals that the Left cannot afford to ignore.

One key factor, he noted, was the failure to mobilise minority community support to the extent the front had anticipated.

At the same time, he pointed to shifting social alignments within the Hindu vote base.

“The Nair community, by and large, has been leaning towards the BJP and the Congress-led UDF. More worrying for us is the erosion of support from the Ezhava community, which has traditionally been one of our strongest pillars,” he observed.

Yet, Cherian maintained that the situation remains far from irretrievable.

With nearly five months still to go before the Assembly elections, he believes the Left has adequate time to regroup and recalibrate its strategy.

“We have a core base of about 55 to 60 seats that are largely secure. From there, it is a matter of gaining another 20 seats to be in a competitive position,” he said.

He also pointed out that in the 2021 Assembly polls, the Left had narrowly lost several constituencies by slender margins -- losses that, in his view, can be reversed through focused organisational work and sharper political messaging.

“If our cadre work harder on the ground and reconnect with sections where we have lost ground, we can bridge that gap. The narrative that everything is lost is being pushed by the media and the Congress-led UDF. The reality is more nuanced,” Cherian asserted, underlining his belief that the Left Front’s electoral fortunes are still salvageable.

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