Tripura, one of the last bastions of the Left has fallen. The 25-year rule of the CPI (M)-led Left government in the state came to an end on Saturday, as the BJP and its ally won the assembly election.
After losing Tripura, the only state where the party remains in power now is Kerala.
Congress leaders took the opportunity to flay the CPI (M)’s recent decision not to have any pact or alliance with other secular parties to defeat the BJP.
Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy criticised the CPI (M) saying that its inability to understand the reality of Indian politics caused its downfall. “The election result in Tripura shows the necessity of the secular forces to unite," he added.
Indian Union Muslim League General Secretary KPA Majeed said that the result is disappointing. “It has been proved that the CPI (M) alone can’t defeat the BJP and the party’s policy at the national level is wrong.”
“When the CPI (M) took on BJP in Tripura, the Congress wanted the victory of the Left party, said Congress MLA K Muraleedharan.
He was responding to CPI (M) Politburo member MA Baby's statement that it was Congress votes that paved the way for the victory of the BJP. “The Congress is not able to win seats for itself through its own votes, then how can it help the BJP,” Muraleedharan said satirically.
The BJP office in the state capital celebrated the victory with party workers raising slogans. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said that by saying that the BJP gained the victory through sabotage, the CPI (M) is not facing the reality. “The result is born out of the anti-people policies of the CPI (M). By saying that the victory is won through money, CPI (M) is humiliating the ordinary people of the state,” he said.
Former state president of the BJP, V Muraleedharan put a Facebook post which read, “Saffron win in north east, one-third majority.”
CPI (M) leader and former MP KN Balagopal said, “It is the result of the BJP’s philosophy of winning power at any cost. The BJP has resorted to winning power in a precarious way. They would join hands with even the terrorists to gain power, with least attention to developmental issues, which is also evident from the election result.”
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said results clearly show the need for a "united fight against the BJP".
Meanwhile, CPI (M)'s detractors in Kerala had a field day, rubbing the loss into the Left party's wounds.
While CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came under the most fierce attack, party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury also came in for flak for his statement at the party conference in Thrissur last week that state leaders should not forget that CPI (M) is "not just limited to CPI-M in Kerala".
Social media users pointed out that the Left party had indeed become 'Communist Party of Kerala-Marxist'.
A meme of a coffin with 'Tripura' written on it is being carried by Vijayan, state party Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan.
Another meme shows two leading comedians of Malayalam cinema lying bandaged in a cot, with the words 'Bengal' and 'Tripura' and saying there is one more (Kerala) who will be coming in very soon.