Thursday, July 2, 2015

The CPM's dilemma continues.

The CPM leaders continue to heap scorn on the people of Aruvikkara. The leaders have been crying hoarse from the rooftops that the money acquired from the scams thus far and liquor were the reasons for the UDF victory. If they persist on this flimsy reason, without backing their charges with concrete proof, they're gonna be the ultimate losers. The LDF and in particular the CPM, must do some soul searching, make amends to their strategy at the earliest extent feasible to come up trumps in the local self government elections that are due in September.

Where did the LDF go wrong?

It's common knowledge that the LDF is guided mainly by the CPM's political outlook. And therefore, let me try to list out the possible reasons for the CPM - despite being a strong, cadre based party - to have reached the present impasse:-

   (a) The brutal murder of its ex-member, TP Chandrasekharan, in which some among its top
         leadership are involved was the starter. Further, the visits to the jails housing the accused, by
         some of its leaders put in further doubt, about the party's involvement, into the people's
         minds. That their popular leader, VS Achuthanandan continues to back a full probe to look
         into the party's involvement, strengthens that doubt.
   (b) Oommen Chandy, being awarded the United Nation's Public Service Award for his 'Mass
         Contact Programmes', which saw him directly engaging with his people to address their
         grievances without intermediaries, rattled the opposition. A confusion was created among the 
         people that it was for the government and not for the Chief minister, whereas the fact was that
         the award was given as part of the UN programme for public service, observed on 23 Jun '13
         and it was for the individual, because the programme was his brainchild.
   (c) That the Solar Scam and the presence of dubious members in his personal secretariat,
         compounding to the doubts about the 'clean outlook' about the chief minister tarnished his
         spotless image, till then and took some of the sheen out of the UN award was another matter
         altogether.
   (d) Smelling an advantage, the LDF had launched its first agitation of the siege of the Secretariat
         to unseat the CM, but had to call it off within 24 hrs. Though the party took the stand that
         it did not want the people of Thiruvananthapuram to suffer, the story that it was called off
         as a quid pro quo to Pinarayi Vijayan being temporarily let off the hook in the SNC Lavalin
         case, gained credence!
   (e) The next was to stop the CM from attending public functions which turned violent when the
         DYFI members injured him by pelting stones at him somewhere in northern Kerala. They'd
         to quickly call off the agitation as the ghastly images of an injured Oommen Chandy were
         beamed on prime time channels, further alienating the common man.
   (f)  That KM Mani was being seduced to join the LDF, with the promise of chief ministership,
         was another sordid saga that finally ended up in the famous Bar Bribery case that's again
         playing out its scenes, even today.
   (g) The strategy to boycott KM Mani consequently, had boomeranged, thanks to those messy
         scenes in the Kerala Assembly during the presentation of the budget.
   (h) The zero tolerance among its leaders to take on criticism while going to the meanest level
         when hurling vituperative and personal criticism on their opponents took them further away
         from the people.

My take.

The party has got talent and can do well if it turns over a new leaf. They must campaign with positivity and must embrace the adage, "Live and let live." There's enough space for everyone and don't let the egos come into play. If certain leaders continue to falter, they need to be shown the door. People want their political leaders to be firm and decisive with a human face with an abundant sense of humour. The opponents have to be taken on through healthy discussions where the party's point of view is put across with the desired propriety!


Tailpiece.

On a personal level, what I've liked of Oommen Chandy as a political leader, is that he has never gone after his opponents in a negative manner despite, grave provocations. It's this quality that has endeared him to the people in spite of all the accusations leveled against him and his team. And I'm sure, that even his opponents would doff their hats for his canvassing at Aruvikkara through the numerous 'kudumbayogams' - informal interactions with the people which stretched into the late hours of the day where he could tell his people as to what his government has done for them, thus far. The clincher of a winning strategy!    

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