The announcement of the poll schedule for five assemblies has set the stage for a critical electoral test for Left parties, which are seeking to retain Kerala, their lone governing bastion, while attempting to regain lost ground in West Bengal.
Leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Communist Party of India (CPI) said the elections are significant not only for defending existing bases but also for rebuilding organisational strength in states where their influence has waned over the past decade.
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby asserted that the Left is politically and organisationally prepared, particularly in Kerala, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) aims for a third consecutive term. “Allocation of 99 per cent of seats has already been completed. We hope to rewrite Kerala’s political history with a third consecutive LDF term,” he said. He added that the government’s “remarkable achievements,” including the eradication of extreme poverty and absence of communal riots, strengthen its prospects.
Baby expressed confidence that in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Left, was poised to return to power, while in Puducherry, the Left aims to defeat the BJP-led administration.
Acknowledging setbacks in West Bengal, Baby said the Left Front hopes to revive its fortunes. “If we can convince a substantial section of people, we can make a comeback,” he said, highlighting issues affecting workers, agricultural labourers and women as key electoral concerns.
Also read: ECI announces Assembly poll schedule for 4 states, Puducherry
In Assam, he alleged that the BJP’s policies had alienated minorities and expressed hope that broad political arrangements against the party would yield gains.
Echoing these views, CPI general secretary D Raja described the elections as “politically crucial” and raised concerns over deletions from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision. “Millions of voters in all five states have reportedly been removed, raising questions about a level playing field,” he said, while expressing confidence that voters would deliver a decisive verdict.
For the Left, Kerala remains the most vital battlefield. The LDF won the 2021 Assembly polls with 45.3 per cent of the vote, securing 99 of 140 seats, and became the first government in four decades to win consecutive terms. By contrast, in West Bengal, once a Left stronghold, the alliance failed to win any seat in 2021, with CPI(M) polling only four to five per cent of votes.
Analysts say the upcoming elections will test the Left’s organisational resilience, its ability to reconnect with the electorate, and its capacity to counter the growing influence of the BJP and regional parties across these five states.
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