CPI(M) leader says Kerala bypolls show Left retains public support

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member A. Vijayaraghavan has said the results of recent by-elections in Kerala show that the Left front has not lost its support among the public. Vijayaraghavan made the statement on Wednesday while inaugurating an extended Ernakulam District Committee meeting in Kochi.

The meeting was convened to discuss the party’s setback in the 2026 Assembly elections. He said the electorate had responded against the United Democratic Front government at the first opportunity after it came to power. In his assessment, the bypoll results rejected the campaign that the CPI(M) had lost its political base.

Vijayaraghavan said opponents would increase efforts to weaken the Left and urged party members to resist them. He argued that the outcome showed the Left could not be removed from the public’s affections. He also criticised Chief Minister V.

D. Satheesan over a recent chartered flight to Malappuram, asking him to explain who sponsored the trip. Vijayaraghavan alleged that the journey lacked transparency and said the government needed to conduct an introspection over such travel.

The CPI(M) leader further commented on foreign trips undertaken by some ministers in the UDF government. He said ministers should follow protocol and verify the credentials of people offering them hospitality abroad. He added that the CPI(M) had regulated ministerial foreign travel during its first years in power.

Vijayaraghavan said the CPI(M) would undertake a serious examination of the reasons for its Assembly election defeat. He promised that the party would initiate the necessary course correction after reviewing the factors behind the setback. The supplied material did not provide details of the by-election results or a response from the UDF government to his allegations.