KATHMANDU: CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that linking the recent electoral defeat of the leftist forces in India’s Kerala state to a supposed crisis in Nepal’s communist movement is an incorrect interpretation.
Taking to social media on Thursday, Pokharel argued that the future of Nepal’s leftist forces should not be judged on the basis of a single election outcome, but on its long-term agenda, activities in the interest of the people and the nation, and its engagement with the public.
“The analysis that Nepal’s leftist movement is in crisis based on the Left’s defeat in Kerala has begun to surface,” he wrote, adding that “in Kerala, power has historically changed almost in every election, and in the previous election, the Left alliance had returned to power as an exception.”
He further said that the recent electoral setback should not be viewed as the failure of only the Left forces, but rather as a defeat of broader democratic forces in Nepal.
According to Pokharel, the key issue for Nepal’s democratic movement is not external comparisons but internal reflection. He stressed the need for political forces that form the foundation of Nepal’s democracy to identify reasons for setbacks, conduct serious review and evaluation, and develop a clear roadmap for strengthening democratic governance.
He also emphasized the importance of restructuring and revitalization for building a secure democratic future.
“In times of crisis and challenge, despair and escape are the paths of opportunists and cowards,” he wrote, adding that a revolutionary force must face challenges head-on and transform difficulties into opportunities.
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