O nce the ideological backbone of India’s welfare state, the Left is in gradual eclipse. In West Bengal, where the Left Front ruled uninterrupted for over three decades, its cadre base has crumbled under the dual assault of identity-based politics and grassroots disillusionment. In Tripura, a resurgent BJP displaced the communists by adopting the Left’s welfare tools while adding cultural nationalism and centralised patronage.

On the other hand, Kerala—the last bastion—is no longer immune to the national tide. While the CPI(M) still holds the ground electorally, its ideological edges are being increasingly dulled by the compulsions of governance.

This eclipse is not merely an electoral event, but also an intellectual one. In 2004, the Left commanded 61 seats in the Lok Sabha; in 2024, i

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