Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 7 — The CPI(M) state secretariat’s draft report on the party’s electoral debacle came under sharp criticism on Monday at the state committee, with delegates questioning whether the document is sufficiently candid about the organisational and political failures that led to the setback.
The criticism, particularly from the Kannur delegation, has put the leadership under pressure to make the report more comprehensive before it is finalised.
Delegates reportedly objected to the absence of any specific reference to organisational lapses and the failure to acknowledge that the candidate selection process had gone wrong.
They also questioned where the findings of the CPI(M) Central Committee were reflected in the draft report.
The criticism was that the report merely referred to shortcomings in general terms without identifying the specific failures that had contributed to the party’s defeat.
Delegates questioned how corrective measures could be worked out when the document itself did not clearly spell out where the party had gone wrong.
The draft was also criticised for being prepared more in the manner of a routine organisational activity report rather than as a detailed political assessment of the party’s electoral setback.
The delegates argued that the party needed a frank assessment of its failures if it was to undertake effective course correction. Around 20 delegates took part in the discussion on Monday.
The debate assumes added significance as the exercise will now move into a much wider forum.
The extended state committee meeting, expected to bring together around 300 party leaders, will discuss the report and the reasons for the electoral setback.
The objections raised in the state committee today could therefore provide an indication of the fault lines that may emerge when the report is placed before the larger gathering.
The CPI(M) leadership is facing the task of arriving at an assessment that is sufficiently candid to satisfy the party rank and file while also providing a basis for corrective action.
The Kannur intervention is significant in this context, as it has challenged the draft at the level of its basic assessment rather than merely seeking minor changes.
The state committee discussion will continue on Tuesday, when further interventions are expected before the report moves towards the extended committee.
The final document is likely to reflect the outcome of these discussions and the pressure for a more specific accounting of the party’s organisational and political failures.