LDF will go to people for corrective measures after poll defeat: TP Ramakrishnan

LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan on Thursday said the Left front would go to the people to initiate corrective measures after its defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference after the LDF meeting, Ramakrishnan said all parties in the Left Front would conduct separate evaluations of their election performance, identify shortcomings and take corrective steps.

LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan on Thursday said the Left front would go to the people to initiate corrective measures after its defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections. LDF lost power in Kerala after suffering a heavy defeat, winning just 35 out of 140 seats in the state assembly election held on April 9. Addressing a press conference after the LDF meeting, Ramakrishnan said all parties in the Left Front would conduct separate evaluations of their election performance, identify shortcomings and take corrective steps. ''We are going to the public. Let the public correct us. We are going to the people who voted. Let them point out our lapses. We will take steps so that opinions can be expressed without any fear,'' he said. He said the CPI(M) state secretariat meeting held on Wednesday lasted nearly 11 hours, and discussions would also be held with party members from the branch level onwards. ''Only after proper discussions can we arrive at the correct stand. Our position is that open discussions should be held,'' he said. Ramakrishnan said the Congress leader VD Satheesan's prediction during the polls that the UDF would win more than 100 seats had proven correct. ''When they said they would get more than 100 seats, our assessment was that they would not get it. They use PR agencies, but even then, what they said turned out right. We will examine what policy changes we should make,'' he said. He said the CPI(M) would examine whether weaknesses in branch-level activities had contributed to the party's poor performance in the election. ''If there are any issues, we will correct them. People who are not ready to correct cannot continue in the party. That is the stand of the CPI(M),'' he said. Ramakrishnan said opinions of people outside the LDF would also be heard and considered while evaluating the defeat. He said the Left front would announce its Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly after the UDF finalises its chief minister and cabinet. ''We have not decided it yet. But there is no disagreement regarding the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly. Let the UDF announce the Chief Minister and other ministers, then the CPI(M) will decide the Opposition leader,'' he said. He also rejected reports that the CPI had objected to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan becoming the Leader of the Opposition. He said CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, who attended the LDF meeting, had maintained that the Leader of the Opposition should be selected by the CPI(M), which the other ally parties would accept. He said that even when anti-incumbency is being cited as a reason for defeat, lapses of the government cannot be raised to support the claim. ''We will examine everything, including the anti-incumbency aspect,'' he added.