People’s verdict a warning, Left will bounce back, says Binoy Viswam after LSG poll defeat

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam has said that the results of the local body elections were unexpected and should be seen as a warning from the people. He said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had implemented numerous initiatives that brought wide-ranging changes across all sections of Kerala society, and it was therefore expected that the people’s vote would translate into a clear mandate for the LDF. However, that expectation was not realised.

He said defeat was not new to the Left or to the Communist Party, and that a setback did not mean the end of everything. History does not end for anyone, he said, adding that the party viewed the defeat as a decision of the times. Above all, the people mattered most, and their verdict was being accepted with humility.

Viswam said the party viewed the result as a warning issued by the electorate and that the Communist Party had no hesitation in respecting it in full measure. The party would examine the reasons for the defeat and correct any mistakes that had been made. Correcting errors was a core Communist value, he said, adding that by addressing its shortcomings, the party would return stronger and move forward with renewed vigour. He expressed confidence that a third term for the LDF was assured.

Sabarimala gold row: ‘Those responsible must be punished’

Referring to the alleged misappropriation of assets at Sabarimala, Binoy Viswam said there would be no compromise with anyone involved, irrespective of who they were. This, he said, was why the government had not obstructed the special investigation team (SIT) probe. The investigation must proceed unhindered and those responsible must be punished. This, he said, was the position of both the CPI and the LDF.

RSS and BJP destroyed MGNREGA scheme

He also criticised the new Bill brought in by the Union government to replace the employment guarantee scheme, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) had transformed Indian villages into centres of hope, he said, alleging that the RSS and the BJP, whom he accused of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi, had now destroyed that scheme as well.