Youth sentiment points to change, says CPM leader Balakrishnan

CHENNAI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member K Balakrishnan on Saturday said the strong participation of youth in the elections reflected a growing desire for change, even as opinion surveys indicated return of DMK government and little space for the BJP in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Addressing reporters, he said the unprecedented mobilisation of young voters signalled a shift in political expectations. While a section of youth may have been drawn towards Vijay, the broader trend indicated a search for alternatives and a demand for meaningful change.

He said most post-poll surveys, despite variations, converged on one conclusion that the BJP had limited prospects in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In Tamil Nadu, he maintained that the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK was poised for a decisive victory and that public sentiment favoured the return of a DMK-led government.

At the same time, he called for a strong protest movement in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry against the Union government’s policies, alleging that they placed additional burdens on the people. He also urged wider mobilisation condemning the United States’ military actions against Iran.

On alliance dynamics, he said the CPI(M) and the Communist Party of India had sought to contest more seats, but the DMK leadership limited their allocation. Despite dissatisfaction, the Left parties continued to support the alliance with the primary objective of defeating the BJP and its allies, he said.

He added that the party would continue its struggle against the BJP while also taking positions based on the policies of the incoming government led by M K Stalin.

Highlighting concerns of youth, he said unemployment remained a major issue, with large numbers affected and government vacancies unfilled. Contract-based employment had become widespread across sectors, leaving little scope for permanent jobs.

He said the party would press for filling all vacancies in government departments and regularising contract workers. The rising frustration among youth over joblessness had contributed to the current political mood, he said, adding that constructive efforts would be made to channel this sentiment.

Referring to Puducherry, he said the electoral outcome remained uncertain due to internal contradictions within the alliance led by the DMK and the Congress. A lack of unity, seat-sharing disputes, and competition within parties had created confusion, affecting the alliance’s prospects, he said.