BJP's electoral invincibility has been busted: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Assembly polls results

The Assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry have been a boost to the Opposition. The CPI(M)-led Left has returned to power in Kerala, while Trinamool Congress defied all odds. BJP retained Assam, while DMK returned to power after a 10-year gap. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury spoke to DH’s Shemin Joy about the election results.

What do the election results tell us?

This is a very resounding setback to the BJP. The so-called myth of BJP's electoral invincibility has been busted. All the efforts made through money power and manipulation of the system also failed miserably. People have decisively rejected it.

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Kerala is witnessing a historic victory. The LDF has bucked the trend and a ruling coalition is back in power. What is your take?

Not only has the incumbent government been re-elected, it has done so with a much better score and with larger support. This is a clear indication that the people have supported the LDF's performance of tackling all natural disasters in the last five years, of tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and creating the Kerala model, of the various welfare measures undertaken to ensure people's livelihood and importantly, to steadfastly safeguard the secular democratic character of the Indian republic and federalism.

What is your analysis of Congress performance? Is Congress losing the poll position as the main Opposition party?

People looked at the viable option to defeat the BJP in all the states. That is why people saw us as the best option in Kerala, apart from the positive things we did in the last five years. Likewise in Bengal, it was Trinamool Congress. Therefore, it had an impact on our performance. So the benchmark in these elections is not so much what is the performance of the parties. The benchmark was who is the most consistent upholder of people's interest and of the defence of secular democracy. They saw the Left in Kerala. In Bengal, they saw Trinamool as the only viable opposition to the BJP.

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The Congress-Left-ISF was considered to be a good coalition. What could be the other reasons for a complete rout of the Left in West Bengal?

Our performance has been disappointing. In their urge to defeat the BJP, a bipartisan polarisation emerged, squeezing out the Congress-Left-ISF. In the system of the electoral democracy we have, any third force in an acute polarisation gets squeezed out. That's what happened in Bengal. A proper review of these results will be undertaken by the CPI(M) to draw needed lessons.

So you don't believe it is an end for the Left or other forces in Bengal? Is the Left now out of picture in Bengal?

Not at all. Now will begin the real politics in Bengal concerning people's problems. Till now, there have been polarisation issues, which the BJP has been doing. Now that has been defeated. The actual people's issues will now come to the fore now and that is where the Left and others will emerge.

Do you think these results are a wake-up call to the Modi government at the Centre? Do you think it was also a vote on the handling of the Covid-19 crisis?

It is more than a wake-up call. It is a decisive rejection of the BJP policies by the people in these states. Even in Assam, the BJP has managed to hold on to their government. But the difference between the BJP and the Opposition coalition would not be large. My assessment is that it will be a very narrow vote share.