The document emerged from the discussions in the CPI(M) central committee, which met in the capital in the last week of July. It notes that although the Left Front retained its dominance in both the elections, there was some erosion in its support base.
The factors that it has listed include instances of corruption, inefficiency in the departments of health, education and rural electrification and flouting of guidelines on the functioning of local bodies.
It notes that because of the alienation of the urban middle class, especially the educated unemployed youth, the party lost out to the Congress in urban areas.
It adds that, while the bulk of the working class and the Muslim minorities voted Left, a degree of erosion is visible in certain areas. We must investigate why there was erosion of support among the Muslim masses in some places, particularly in the urban areas.
About Kerala, where the party came to power in alliance with other parties, the document notes that the Left Democratic Front could not broaden its support base compared from 1991.
It says candidly that the unhealthy inner-party organisational situation marked by groupism for some time in Kerala has weakened the organisation and its live links with the masses.
In order to rectify the situation, it specifically mentions that special attention has to be paid for planning political-ideological campaigns among the minorities.
About other states, the document acknowledges that there has been stagnation in the electoral base or in some places even decline.
The document has come down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad, saying the discontent engineered by the Laloo Prasad government'smisrule and the casteist approach are the main causes for the poor showing of the Left in the state. The Left's tally tumbled from nine Lok Sabha seats from Bihar in 1991 to four in 1996.
About the future, the document emphasises streamlining state units and launching ideological campaigns. It is of utmost importance that the independent identity of the party and the Left is maintained in coming days, it notes.
