Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (IANS): The national leadership of the CPI(M) has eventually realised that the root cause for the mauling the party got in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls was on account of the arrogance of party leaders and workers there, particularly Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

CPI(M) top brass, including General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri and his predecessor Prakash Karat, who have been attending the zonal meetings in Kerala, got firsthand information regarding this.

As things don’t appear too bright for the party in the state, both Yechuri and Karat have emphasised that from now on the national leadership will keep a close watch on the developments in Kerala.

What has shocked the CPI(M) is the fact that its second-biggest ally CPI has in its review meeting discussed the parting of ways if CM Vijayan and his leaders don’t mend their ways.

They are even mulling reviving their old alliance with the Congress in Kerala.

Incidentally, this opinion was expressed by CPI leaders from north Kerala districts.

This comes a few days after the Congress-led UDF convenor MM Hassan extended an olive branch to the CPI, asking them to consider returning to the Congress-led alliance.

On Thursday, the student wing of the CPI-AISF also slammed the manner in which the SFI, the student wing of the CPI(M), went berserk at numerous campuses soon after colleges reopened last month.

State CPI Secretary, Binoy Viswan minced no words and said that the way SFI behaves is not in tune with Communist ideologies and if they do not mend their ways, then the SFI is going to be a liability for the Left.

With Yechuri and Karat deciding to rein in the erring party, it remains to be seen how effective they will be as CM Vijayan still goes about in his typical arrogant fashion as was seen during the ongoing Assembly session.