New Delhi: The results of the legislative assembly elections in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry have hit the Congress and Left parties hardest, given the massive victories of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Trinamool Congress.
This was clearly reflected in the sombre mood of leaders and party functionaries of both the Congress and Left front at their respective party headquarters in New Delhi.
"It is a big defeat for the party but we too committed mistakes," the CPI-M said in a written statement released from its New Delhi office.
Senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the party would analyse the results carefully at its politburo meeting on Monday.
Asked about issues that could have gone against the CPM, senior party leader Brinda Karat said that the issue of land acquisition in West Bengal's Singur and Nandigram areas seemed to have created a perception among the people that the state government was going against its own land reforms programme.
The massive victory in Assam is the only solace for the Congress. But, some argue that the credit should go to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who led the party to a third straight victory.
Commenting on Assam, Yechury said that the peace talks with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and the division in the opposition parties have contributed to the Congress' gains in the state.
On the other hand, the poll results from Puducherry have no significance for national parties.
Similarly, the narrow victory in Kerala is actually a defeat for the Congress.
Congress circles are disappointed that party general secretary Rahul Gandhi's charisma failed to impress voters in the state. Likewise, questions are being raised about the 1.4 million paid members of the Congress' youth wing in Tamil Nadu.
Although the Congress secretly wished for decimation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the former has at the same time completely lost its base in Tamil Nadu by winning just a few seats.
