Thiruvananthapuram, Dec. 8 -- Hindustan Times caught up with CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan in the state capital on the sidelines of the local body election campaign. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Voting patterns in the local body, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are different. But in local body polls, results tend to come more in our favour. Our cadres and their day-to-day political activities are a core part of our party. The link between the organisation and the public is strong. Our politics is connected to the lives of people. Therefore, for CPI(M), finding candidates is not difficult. Other parties are unable to field candidates. For the LDF and particularly CPM, we often have an advantage in local body polls and ...