Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Binoy Viswam has sharpened his public attack on former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, accusing it of neglecting the toddy sector while the Left coalition reels from a crushing defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections. Viswam's remarks, delivered on Friday, 18 September 2026, at the state conference of the Kerala State Toddy Workers Federation (AITUC) in Vaikom, represent the most direct public criticism yet from the CPI — the second-largest constituent of the LDF — toward its larger ally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)).

The Toddy Sector Grievance

At the heart of Viswam's attack is an allegation of unequal treatment between the toddy industry and the bar trade during the LDF's five-year term. He stated that the CPI had repeatedly raised the toddy sector's concerns at LDF coordination meetings, specifically seeking a reduction in the 400-metre distance restriction that toddy shops must maintain from places of worship and educational institutions. The government, he said, did not act on this demand.

By contrast, the distance restriction applicable to bars was reduced to 50 metres — a disparity Viswam described as two different standards being applied to the two trades. He further alleged that Vijayan himself had conceded at an LDF meeting that the CPI's demand was justified, yet no corrective action was taken across the government's full term. 'It is not enough to say that something will be corrected. It has to be corrected,' Viswam said, quoting his own position to the alliance leadership.

The Broader Post-Poll Reckoning

Viswam's remarks extend well beyond the toddy issue. He delivered a pointed message on the LDF's election defeat, calling for honest introspection rather than deflection. He claimed that even the Left's own party workers did not vote for the LDF — an unusually frank acknowledgement of internal disaffection. While he said such abstention by cadre was wrong, he simultaneously pressed the leadership to ask why it came to that point.

'Did we give our comrades enough importance? Did we listen to them? Did we understand them?' Viswam asked, framing the defeat as a failure of internal party culture, not merely electoral arithmetic.

He specifically flagged the loss of traditional Left strongholds — Vaikom, Taliparamba, Payyannur, Kodungallur, and Ambalappuzha — as results that should not have occurred and demanded that the alliance own up to its failures. 'Defeat is defeat. If there was a failure, we must admit that it was a failure,' he said.

Pressure Mounts on CPI(M)

The CPI(M) had already faced sharp internal criticism over the electoral outcome at its own extended state committee meeting held recently. Viswam's public broadside from an allied party adds a second front to that reckoning. This comes amid a broader pattern: smaller LDF constituents have historically deferred to the CPI(M) on policy matters, making this level of open criticism from the CPI notable.

Notably, the LDF is now in Opposition following the Assembly election defeat, and the coalition's collective explanation for losing seats it had held for years remains contested. The CPI's insistence on examining the previous government's functioning — rather than attributing the loss solely to anti-incumbency or external factors — signals a harder internal negotiation ahead over the Left's direction in Kerala.

What Comes Next

The CPI(M) faces growing pressure from within and outside its alliance to conduct a credible accountability exercise. Whether the CPI's demands translate into formal changes to LDF coordination norms or remain rhetorical pressure will shape how coherent the Left Opposition proves to be in the coming years. Observers of Kerala politics will watch whether Vijayan or the CPI(M) leadership responds publicly to Viswam's specific allegations — particularly the claim that Vijayan privately acknowledged the toddy policy was unjust but chose not to act.