CPM's internal report reveals section of traditional Kerala voters also strayed away from party in 2019 Lok Sabha election

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM secretariat in a report in regard to its Lok Sabha poll debacle in Kerala said a section of its traditional voters did not cast their ballot in favour of its candidates. The report was submitted before its state committee on Friday and the discussion on it will end Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_5087231” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. PTI[/caption] “The report of the party secretariat was submitted before the state committee. The discussion on the report is going on. The discussion will continue tomorrow,” a source said. Sources said though the report states that devotees in general were misled, it does not mention Sabarimala. The ruling-Left, faced a massive defeat while the Congress-led United Democratic Front bagged 19 of the 20 seats in the state. The report mentions that the concentration of minority votes in favour of opposition parties also resulted in the losing the 19 seats. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier categorically said that the Sabarimala agitation had not affected the election results in the state. Vijayan had said that if Sabarimala was an election issue, then the votes would have gone to the BJP, who had tried to take advantage of the Sabarimala issue. The state had witnessed widespread violence by a section of frenzied devotees led by right-wing groups and the BJP after the state government had decided to implement the 28 September Supreme Court order allowing entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala. The BJP had pinned its hopes on the issue to open its account in the state to Lok Sabha but failed to gain any progress in that regard.