Left banks on Kerala stronghold while chasing revival in Bengal

The announcement of Assembly election schedules for five regions has set the stage for a crucial political test for India’s Left parties . While the immediate aim is to secure a historic third consecutive term in Kerala , the larger challenge is to revive the Left’s fading electoral presence in states where its influence has declined over the past decade.

India’s Left movement once played a significant role in the country’s political landscape. Parties such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India built strong support bases among workers, farmers and organised labour. The Left Front ruled West Bengal continuously from 1977 to 2011 , one of the longest democratically elected communist governments in the world. It also enjoyed sustained electoral success in Kerala and Tripura , while playing an influential role in national coalition politics by supporting governments and shaping debates on welfare policies, labour rights and federalism.

However, the Left’s electoral footprint has shrunk significantly in recent years, making the upcoming state elections particularly important for rebuilding political relevance.

CPI(M) general secretary M. A. Baby said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is organisationally and politically prepared for the electoral battle in Kerala. According to him, almost all seat sharing arrangements within the alliance have already been finalised.

He expressed confidence that the alliance could rewrite Kerala’s political history by securing a third consecutive term , pointing to what he described as the government’s achievements in social development and governance.

Beyond Kerala, the Left is also banking on alliance politics. In Tamil Nadu, the parties are part of the ruling alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and believe the coalition could return to power with a strong mandate. In Puducherry, Left leaders say their aim is to defeat the BJP led government .

The biggest challenge, however, lies in West Bengal, once the Left’s strongest political base . The Left Front has struggled there in recent elections, failing to win a single seat in the 2021 Assembly polls and witnessing a sharp fall in vote share. Still, party leaders believe there is scope for a political revival if they reconnect with workers, agricultural labourers and women voters.

Concerns about the electoral process have also been raised. D. Raja alleged that the deletion of voters during electoral roll revisions has raised questions about fairness, claiming that millions of names were removed across the states going to polls.

For the Left parties, the stakes could hardly be higher. Kerala remains their last major bastion of power , while the upcoming elections offer a rare opportunity to rebuild organisational strength and political relevance in regions where their once dominant presence has faded.