Losing in its first-ever direct contest with the BJP, the CPI(M) on Saturday laid the burden of defeat in Tripura at the door of the Congress. The party in a statement said that the BJP managed to consolidate all anti-Left votes by “appropriating the erstwhile main opposition party, the Congress”.

“This appropriation is evident if you compare today’s results with the 2013 results. In 2013, the Congress got 36.54%, now it has 1.8%,” a senior functionary of the CPI(M) said.

Speaking to reporters at the party headquarters in Delhi, its general secretary Sitaram Yechury also blamed the “money and muscle power” used by the BJP in all northeastern states.

“45% voters have voted for the Left Front. We assure them that the CPI(M) will work for the betterment of their livelihood, their democratic rights and the unity of tribal and non-tribal sections of the society,” he said.“A proper and thorough analysis of results will done once we have the detailed results. Steps that are needed will be taken by the party,” Mr. Yechury added.

The jolt in Tripura could also mean changes in the party’s own political-tactical line. The tactical line approved in the party’s central committee meeting held in Kolkata in January this year says that there will be no alliance or understanding with the Congress. The line backed by Mr. Yechury, advocating an open-door policy, was out-voted in the central committee. On Saturday, he merely said: “The draft political line released by the central committee will be debated at the party Congress. Beyond that I can’t say.”

The Tripura unit of the party in the Central Committee had voted in favour of the majority draft political line endorsed by the Kerala faction led by former general secretary Prakash Karat. “Many in our party were taking the threat from the BJP very lightly. This defeat, more than ever, underscores the danger posed by the RSS-BJP combine which needs to be tackled with all resources we can gather,” a senior functionary said.