The left-wing alliance in India's southern state of Kerala has suffered a major defeat in state elections, according to early results. The United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the opposition Congress party, won or was leading in 98 seats in the 140-member assembly, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured only 35 seats. This marks a historic low for the political left in India.

Kerala was the first place in the world to elect a communist government democratically in 1957, when the Communist Party of India (CPI) came to power under EMS Namboodiripad. However, the government was dismissed in 1959 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Since 1977, at least one Indian state had always been ruled by the left, but that streak has now ended.

Political analysts attribute the left's decline to several factors, including its inability to address caste and gender issues, and the changing nature of capitalism after liberalisation. The rise of right-wing ideology, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has also eroded leftist support. In national elections, the left's seat count fell from 62 in 2004 to just eight currently.

Outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's LDF government was praised for its COVID-19 response and welfare schemes, including a poverty alleviation project that made Kerala the first Indian state to declare itself free of extreme poverty. However, critics say the party lost credibility by abandoning its rebel role and adopting the language of power.

Experts believe the left needs to reinvent itself, moving from a 20th-century communist mould to a social democratic force relevant to 21st-century India. Despite the setbacks, the persistence of wealth inequality and jobless growth could provide an opening for a left revival, provided it can attract young leaders and address contemporary issues.

Source: www.aljazeera.com