Kottayam (Kerala), May 9 (PTI) Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani on Saturday alleged that cross-voting by CPI(M) workers took place during the Assembly elections, in which the LDF suffered a major defeat.
He was addressing a press conference after the party’s steering committee meeting held to evaluate the reasons for the defeat of Kerala Congress (M), which failed to win any seat despite contesting 12 Assembly constituencies.
Kerala Congress (Mani) is a key constituent of the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was defeated in the Assembly elections and lost power.
The LDF won only 35 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while Kerala Congress (M) failed to secure a single seat.
Mani said multiple reasons for the defeat were identified during the meeting, but no one alleged that the LDF government had lagged in development activities.
“Development activities, including welfare pension distribution, were properly implemented. But questions were raised about whether these were reaching people properly. Doubts were also raised on whether a popular face could be given to these development activities,” he said.
He further alleged that party leaders pointed to cross-voting by CPI(M) workers in several constituencies.
“When all constituencies were evaluated, we received information that cross-voting by CPI(M) workers had taken place,” he said.
Mani also said doubts were raised during the meeting about whether the LDF government’s development activities had effectively reached the grassroots level.
“Similarly, minority communities distanced themselves from the front, and their consolidation helped the other front,” he said.
According to Mani, a narrative suggesting that the RSS and the LDF had entered into a deal was consciously created before the election.
“Due to this, some minority communities that had supported the LDF distanced themselves from the front. Such a narrative was consciously created by the UDF and some sections of the media,” he alleged.
He said district presidents of the party from Idukki, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kannur, and Pathanamthitta presented their views during the steering committee meeting.
Mani said the party’s base remained intact, and it had decided to move forward cautiously.
He said district-level and constituency-level meetings would be held before May 15, and reports on the party’s electoral performance would be submitted.
There have, meanwhile, been reports of internal criticism over the leadership’s decision not to shift allegiance from the LDF to the UDF before the election.
Mani, a Rajya Sabha MP, had contested from Pala and lost to UDF candidate Mani C Kappan. PTI TBA SSK
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