RSS 'agenda', Sabarimala affected LS performance in Kerala: CPI-M

Thiruvananthapuram: After three days of intense debate by various party committees, Kerala's ruling CPI-M on Saturday said it has identified the RSS "agenda" and the Sabarimala issue as the cause of its dismal performance in the state in the Lok Sabha polls and it will work to win back the people's confidence.

The Congress-led UDF won 19 of the state' 20 seats, reducing the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front to one - against eight seats in 2014, while the BJP failed to open its account.

At the end of the meetings, CPI-M state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan claimed that a section of the regular Left voters in the state was misled by the BJP/Congress on the Sabarimala issue.

"The RSS here had a strategy which was to finish off the CPI-M and this is what they adopted in West Bengal and Tripura. What they did here was to vote for the Congress, even if it means defeat of the BJP, so as to finish us off. Then they can easily finish those parties who have gained at our expense... that's what they are doing in Bengal and Tripura," he alleged.

Balakrishnan, however, added that the results have nothing to do with any sort of anti-incumbency against the Pinnarayi Vijayan government.

"In order to get back the confidence of the people, where a huge majority are fellow travellers of our party, various committees of our party will discuss and debate and report back on the corrective steps that need to be taken to work among our fellow travellers," he said.

The total number of CPI-M members in Kerala is only half a million and the rest are sympathisers or supporters, or "fellow travellers" in the party jargon.

"Another factor that worked against us was a few killings, that were wrongly foisted on us... and in this both the BJP and the Congress was able to create inroads into a large section of the society. We have asked all in our party to ensure that they adopt a position to work among the people in a humble manner only," said Balakrishnan.

He also gave a clean chit to Vijayan and said their party is not like the Congress, where they find scapegoats for reversals.

"The state Committee of the party takes up the responsibility of this," he added.