Thiruvananthapuram, 05 May (H.S.):The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is facing intense criticism on social media following its unexpected defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections, with party state secretary M. V. Govindan emerging as the primary target of dissent.

The backlash has been particularly visible on Govindan's official Facebook page, where he shared the CPM state secretariat's statement analysing the party's poor electoral performance. The post has since been flooded with critical comments from party workers and supporters, many of whom have openly questioned his leadership and demanded his resignation.

The CPM, which held 62 seats in the outgoing Assembly, has been reduced to just 26 seats in the latest results-marking a steep and unexpected decline. In its official statement, the party acknowledged the defeat, stating that it would accept the verdict of the people and take corrective steps to address its shortcomings.

However, this assurance has done little to calm discontent among the cadre. Several users commenting on Govindan's post argued that such a massive electoral setback was unprecedented in the party's history and required accountability at the highest level.

"One has to say this out of love for the party-can the state secretary step down, taking responsibility for the defeat?" read one comment. Another user wrote, "If the promise to correct mistakes is sincere, the first correction should be your resignation from the post."

Some comments went further, suggesting alternative leadership and calling for a generational shift within the party. Names such as M. Swaraj were floated as potential replacements for the state secretary post, while others proposed new faces for the Leader of the Opposition role.

Criticism also extended to allegations of nepotism and internal mismanagement. Commenters accused sections of the leadership of prioritising personal and family interests, including securing seats and benefits, over party growth. Some pointed to missed warning signs from recent local body elections, arguing that the party had failed to learn from earlier setbacks.