'Communal politics' of LDF led to its downfall, says LoP Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, here on Saturday said the LDF's "communal politics" led to its defeat, while the UDF convinced people with the agenda it placed before them.

In a press conference, Satheesan said that the UDF was indebted to the voters and thanked the public for the mandate.

“We placed a charge sheet against the present government before the people. At the same time, we clearly stated what the UDF would do if it comes to power,” he said.

Satheesan said the LDF had suffered a heavy defeat in the elections.

“In the 2020 civic polls, the LDF had won 580 grama panchayats. That has come down to 345 now, while the UDF has grown from 340 to around 500,” he said.

He said the LDF’s tally in block panchayats had fallen from 111 to 68, while the UDF’s strength rose from 40 to 77.

“Similarly, the LDF has come down from 11 district panchayats to seven, while the UDF has grown from three to seven or eight. In municipalities, the LDF has declined from 42 to 28, while the UDF has jumped from 42 to 54,” he said.

According to him, the LDF had five corporations in 2020, which had come down to one in 2025, while the UDF had increased its count from one to four.

“We see this as a major victory and it is the result of the work of Team UDF. I had said after the Nilambur by-election that we should work together as a team,” he said.

Satheesan said the UDF was not just a confederation of parties, but a political force representing various social sections.

“This is the reason for the change and for the victories in the recent by-elections,” he said.

He said the defeat of the LDF reflected public resentment against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

“The second factor is their communal politics. They followed minority communalism till the parliamentary elections and later shifted to majority communalism,” he alleged.

Satheesan said people close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to promote communal politics.

“They adopted the same communal path as the BJP, which thrives on divisive politics. If the BJP has made any gains, including in Thiruvananthapuram, it is due to the CPI(M)’s majority communal appeasement politics,” he alleged.

He said the appeasement tactics adopted during the 1987 EMS Namboodiripad era would not work in 2025.

“Today, such tactics will only benefit communal fascist forces like the BJP,” he said.

Satheesan said welfare activities were carried out using public funds and were not unique to the present government.

“This is not the first government to introduce welfare measures in Kerala. In fact, the LDF government scrapped several welfare schemes,” he alleged.

He further alleged that the present LDF government had destroyed the state’s economic system.

Responding to CPI(M) MLA M M Mani’s remark that people voted against the LDF despite receiving welfare benefits, Satheesan said it reflected the Left party’s disrespect towards voters.

“When we win an election, we should be humble and try to rise to the expectations of the people. The UDF will be at the forefront of Kerala’s growth and will exceed public expectations,” he said.

He said the local body election would serve as fuel for the “bigger battle” in next year’s Assembly elections.

Satheesan said preparations for the Assembly polls had already begun.

“Discussions on preparations and candidates have started. A united leadership is handling the process,” he said.

He said areas such as Kollam and Kozhikode, which are considered organisational strongholds of the CPI(M), had also witnessed major electoral gains for the UDF.

“We are going to govern the Kollam Corporation, where the CPI(M), which ruled it throughout history, has slipped to third place. In the Kozhikode Corporation too, the CPI(M) has failed to secure a majority,” he said.

He said the election results marked the UDF’s comeback after defeats in two Assembly elections.

“We have made major gains across Kerala, in the north, central and southern regions,” he said.