CPI(M) Kerala Leader Blames Party's 'Always Right' Attitude for Poll Defeat
CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac says the party's self-righteous attitude and intolerance of dissent were self-defeating in Kerala's Assembly polls.
Differences have emerged within the Kerala leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over the party's performance in the recent Assembly elections. The internal debate has been brought into the open by Thomas Isaac, a former Finance Minister of the state and a member of the party's Central Committee.
Isaac has publicly criticised the organisational culture that prevailed during the election campaign. He argued that the party's approach of assuming it was always correct proved to be counterproductive. This mindset, he suggested, alienated potential allies and voters.
A key point of his critique was the treatment of dissent within the party ranks. Isaac noted that the leadership's attitude towards those who questioned its line was dismissive. He said the party effectively told so-called apostates that they were free to leave the organisation, operating on the belief that the party would be stronger without sceptics.
According to Isaac, this approach was fundamentally self-defeating. By discouraging internal debate and pushing away members with reservations, the party may have weakened its own collective strength and its connection with the electorate. His remarks signal a clear divergence of opinion within the state unit about the causes of the electoral setback and the way forward.