Thiruvananthapuram: The political temperature in Kerala has shot up like the mercury in a Kollam summer as the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress launched a blistering war of words over the legacy of communism in India and its current state in the state. The trigger came from an unexpected quarter—a national media piece questioning the decline of the Communist movement from the corridors of power in Delhi to the bylanes of State Party offices. But in Kerala, where red flags still flutter over the Secretariat, the CPI(M) was quick to fire back, accusing the Congress of ‘historical amnesia’ while the grand old party retorted that the current regime is a ‘pale shadow’ of the revolutionary ideals it once championed.
‘They Ruled Millions, Now Rule Only Kerala’
The debate began when a senior Congress strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked that the CPI(M) today survives only in Kerala, while its national footprint has shrunk to single-digit Lok Sabha seats. “Once, communists ruled millions from West Bengal to Tripura. Today, they are reduced to squabbling over municipal wards in Kollam and Thrissur. That is the tragedy of Kerala’s CPI(M),” the leader told reporters in the state capital.
State Congress President K. Sudhakaran was quick to pile on, saying, “The CPI(M) has become a regional party with a national pretension. They have abandoned class struggle for power struggle. Look at their alliance with the Congress in Delhi—they cannot even decide whether to court the BJP or fight it.” The swipe was aimed at the CPI(M)’s recent contradictory positions on the INDIA bloc and its silent approach to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) implementation in Kerala.
CPI(M) Fires Back: ‘Congress Sold the Nation to Corporate Houses’
The CPI(M) state leadership was not about to let the barb go unanswered. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a sharp retort during a party meet in Kannur, said, “The Congress should not lecture anyone on legacy. They ruled India for decades and handed over the nation to corporate loot. Today, they are a party without ideology, a sinking ship held together only by the glue of anti-CPI(M) sentiment.”
State Secretary M.V. Govindan was even more scathing. “The Congress is the author of the economic crisis that crushed millions of farmers and workers. Their ‘legacy’ is one of corruption, dynastic rule, and neo-liberal sellouts. Compare that to our legacy—land reforms, literacy, and public health. Which party actually ruled for the millions? Not the Congress, certainly,” he thundered at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Ghost of West Bengal Haunts the Debate
Political analysts note that the ghost of West Bengal continues to haunt the CPI(M) in Kerala. The party’s loss of power in Bengal and Tripura, coupled with the slide in national relevance, has made it defensive. “The CPI(M) leadership in Kerala is acutely aware that they are the last bastion. They cannot afford to lose here. So every criticism about national decline hits a nerve,” said Dr. K. Ramachandran Nair, a political observer in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Congress, sensing vulnerability, has been using the “decline narrative” effectively in its local campaigns. “When Pinarayi Vijayan talks about development, we remind voters that this is the same party that made Bengal a byword for industrial decline,” said a senior Congress MLA from Kottayam.
What Happens Next?
With local body elections just a year away and the 2026 Assembly elections looming, both parties are positioning themselves as the true inheritors of India’s progressive political tradition. But the question remains: can the CPI(M) retain Kerala while fighting a national narrative of decline? And can the Congress, battered nationally, use this “communist decline” argument to make a comeback in the state?
For now, the war of words continues. And in Kerala, where politics is as thick as the steam rising from a cup of chai, this debate is far from over. The next battle will be fought not in Red Fort, but in the panchayats and municipalities of Malabar and Travancore.