A comparative analysis of the performance of the parliamentary left in the Indian states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura

Abstract

This article compares the fortunes of the government coalitions under the leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. The pattern of development and the success of the coalitions differ. In Kerala, the Left has lost every other election, whereas in West Bengal and Tripura, it has won many consecutive elections. West Bengal has seen stagnation in terms of human development, whereas Kerala and Tripura turnedto different degreesinto model states for human development. It is argued that the reasons for these different paths are to be found in the different strategies followed by the regional party units. Developmental success has been delivered through a mobilisation-based approach which has been followed inKerala and Tripura, but given up in West Bengal. This study explores thethree cases and elaborates on the reasons for the choice of strategies in the three states.