Even as senior CPI(M) leaders met over an evaluation meeting here, to discuss results, politburo member Brinda Karat, while talking to dna had a measured response.
As the assembly election results from the states of West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry trickled, the mood at the CPI (M) headquarters here on Thursday, was an interesting mix of joy and dejection. Joy, as the party-led LDF regained power in Kerala. Dejected, as the party was drubbed by the incumbent Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which once was CPI (M)'s stronghold.
Even as senior CPI(M) leaders met over an evaluation meeting here, to discuss results, politburo member Brinda Karat, while talking to dna had a measured response. While she pointed to Congress's anti-people policies in Kerala as one of the reasons for her party's win, in the same voice she said that the Left-Congress combine debacle "will be evaluated."
"In Kerala, we have got a historic win," she said while reluctantly admitting, "At this point, I am not in a position to comment on what went wrong in West Bengal. May be going with Congress was not a right decision. We will sit down and evaluate."
"Right now, our worry is the security of our cadres who have been braving the violence unleashed by TMC in the state."
Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who addressed reporters here later in the day, spoke in a similar voice. "We respect the mandate of West Bengal people. We will evaluate the results as far as our loss is concerned. Our cadres have braved violence by TMC all through the election and even today during counting. We expect escalation in violence against our cadres."
"The entry of BJP in West Bengal is marked by an understanding between BJP and Didi (Mamata Banerjee). But if you look at the vote statistics, BJP has less percentage in comparison to what it got in Lok Sabha," was Yechury's defence to party's loss in the state.
Party faces another challenge even in the face of a win in Kerala. Party stalwart VS Achuthanandan and politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, both of whom have won their seats are contenders for the position of the chief minister.
On being questioned, Yechury said, "I am going to Kerala tomorrow (Friday). We will have a meeting and take a decision accordingly."
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