Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 22 (IANS) The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) is presently the flag-bearer of the party as their units in West Bengal and Tripura have decimated, and hence it has decided to hit the road for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls aiming a target of 10 out of the 20 seats in the state.
The road map for the 2024 polls has now been prepared by the CPI(M) and as the first step towards it, the entire top brass of the party will now be seen knocking on the doors of homes in the state starting from January 1 – 21.
At the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even though the CPI(M) was exuding confidence that they would win 19 seats, when votes were counted it was the Congress-led UDF which won 19 seats, leaving the Left party shell-shocked.
The single biggest reason why they ended in such a state was the way the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government handled the issue of opening the famed Sabarimala temple to women of all age groups breaking the tradition of not allowing any female in the 10 – 50 age group.
Another reason was the decision of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
But Vijayan, one known for his stern positions and not the one who wilts under pressure, came trumps up first in the 2020 local body polls and wrote into history books when he for the first time led the 2021 Assembly polls and retained office, a first in the history of the state.
Incidentally, the way to 2024 polls has been a key point of discussion at all recent CPI(M) party meetings and in the present three-day meeting that began here on Tuesday, this was the key issue and the door-to-door campaign was also cleared.
Besides the door-to-door campaign, instructions will soon be given to its cadres at all levels to ensure that each and every party worker should get involved in all issues in their locality and the key instruction is to behave well and give a patient hearing to the grievances of each and every voter.
A media critic on condition of anonymity said, “The biggest advantage of the CPI(M) led Left is they are well-disciplined, and whatever be the problems plaguing the Vijayan government, there has been no issue in the Left Democratic Front — the apex body of the ruling front. Though people might have their own view, the Left’s strategy to reach out to the people and to convince the voter, all what is being heard in the public domain is nothing but canards being spread by the Congress-led UDF and the BJP, works on most occasions. If it works again as it worked in the 2021 Assembly polls, then target 10 can be achieved. So all eyes would be on how the Congress-led UDF approaches the polls, as their biggest stumbling block is candidate selection,” said the critic.
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