CPIM PB On Assembly Election Results

West Bengal

The Left Front has suffered a big defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The CPI(M) accepts the verdict of the people. The Party will analyse the results carefully and come to proper conclusions about the electoral reverse. After the Left Front being in office for a record 34 years continuously, the people have opted for a change. The TMC-led combine has been the beneficiary of this change. 

The Left Front had won seven successive elections and governed the state for more than three decades which is unprecedented in the parliamentary democratic system in India. In this period, there were solid achievements – land reforms, a democratized panchayat system, progress in agriculture, assurance of democratic rights for the working people, for unity, integrity and communal harmony in the state. These are historic gains of the people of West Bengal and an enduring legacy.

Lakhs of people have supported and voted for the CPI(M) and the Left Front in the most adverse circumstances and against heavy odds. The Polit Bureau conveys its greetings to all of them. It assures them that the CPI(M) and the Left Front will stand by the interests of the people and struggle for the cause of the working people. The Party expresses its gratitude to the tens of thousands of Party and Left Front workers who worked tirelessly during the election campaign.

The Polit Bureau cautions that there should be no repetition of the violence that took place against the CPI(M) and the Left Front cadres and offices in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha polls in 2009. We appeal to the people to work for peace and tranquility.

Kerala

The results in Kerala show that the people have by and large endorsed the record of the LDF government of the past five years. The Left Democratic Front has very narrowly lost the elections with the UDF getting a slender majority of only two seats. This shows that there has been no anti-incumbency trend. However, some caste and religious forces have worked to influence the elections.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) conveys its warm greetings to the thousands of Party and LDF workers who have made this creditable performance in Kerala possible. The CPI(M) and the LDF will vigorously advocate alternative pro-people policies and firmly defend the interests of the working people.

Left Role

The results of West Bengal and Kerala will be a disappointment for the Left and democratic forces in the country. But this will, by no means, make the Left policies and programmes irrelevant for the country. The CPI(M) and the Left forces will not only continue to work for the people in West Bengal and Kerala but will vigorously pursue the struggle against the neo-liberal economic policies, defend the livelihood and interests of the working people and combat communalism and defend secularism in the country.

Tamilnadu

The Polit Bureau welcomes the sweeping victory of the AIADMK alliance in Tamilnadu. The AIADMK and its allies have won more than four-fifth of the seats in the Assembly. The Tamilnadu result is a decisive rejection of the corrupt misrule of the DMK and is also a verdict against the corruption which has flourished under the UPA regime at the Centre.

Assam

The Congress party has won a majority in the Assembly elections. The peace talks with the ULFA and the division in the opposition parties have contributed to the Congress victory.

Joint statement issued by Biman Bose and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

Highlights

The election results have indicated that the Left Front, which has been in the Government uninterruptedly for the last 34 years, will no longer be in office. This is an unexpected result. The Left Front is accepting the mandate of the electorate of West Bengal with all humility and promising to play the role of a responsible and constructive opposition in the state assembly. Besides adopting specific corrective measures after identifying the reasons behind the defeat, the Left Front is committed to continue with its programmes and activities in order to regain the confidence of the people. The Left Front also congratulates and expresses its gratitude to all those who stood by us in this difficult situation marked by an all-round attack against the Left. The poor and common people of the state have made quite a few gains over the last 34 years. The working people, the peasants and the lower income groups have attained dignity. The Leftists hope that the people will remain vigilant in defence of their rights and dignity. The Left Front is appealing to people to maintain peace and ensure a democratic environment in all areas of the state. We appeal to all leaders, activists and supporters of the Left Front not to fall prey to provocations and to make preparations in all municipal wards, villages and areas - as one organised family - for undertaking mass work in the interests of the people. All complaints should be filed properly with the local police station. The Left Front leadership at the state and district levels will always stand by you. The Left Front MLAs will be prepared to defend the rights of the people both inside and outside the state assembly.