E-Paper
Assembly polls 2026: Kerala CPI(M) faces challenge from top rebels in key seats
The most significant contest is unfolding in Ambalappuzha, where G Sudhakaran, a former two-time minister and four-time MLA, is pitted against sitting MLA H Salam and BJP’s Arun Anirudhan.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is confronting a twin challenge of anti-incumbency and internal rebellion in four of its key strongholds ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, as senior leaders turn dissidents and enter the fray as Independents backed by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Though widely regarded as a party with disciplined cadres who rarely step out of line, this time four leaders from within the CPI(M)’s ranks, including one with a six-decade association as a minister and MLA, have entered the electoral contest, openly challenging the organisation and its leadership on grounds such as nepotism, financial misappropriation and erosion of ideological values. The rebels are G Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha, V Kunhikrishnan in Payyanur, TK Govindan in Taliparamba and PK Sasi in Ottapalam — all backed by the UDF as Independent candidates.
The most significant contest is unfolding in Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district, where Sudhakaran, a former two-time minister, four-time MLA and CPI(M) state committee member, is pitted against sitting MLA H Salam and BJP’s Arun Anirudhan. Sudhakaran, who served as Public Works minister under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan from 2016 to 2021 and earlier as co-operation, coir and electricity minister under VS Achuthanandan from 2006 to 2011, declined to renew his party membership earlier this month, alleging that he felt “insulted and neglected”. The CPI(M) had earlier initiated disciplinary action against him, accusing him of working against the party candidate in Ambalappuzha during the 2021 elections, an allegation he has denied.
Ambalappuzha has historically been a Left bastion, with the party and its allies winning 12 out of 15 elections since 1967, while the Congress last won the seat in 2001. The UDF believes backing Sudhakaran could consolidate anti-CPI(M) votes and dent the party’s core support base.
Two other rebels — Kunhikrishnan and Govindan — are contesting from Payyanur and Taliparamba, respectively, in Kannur district, a traditional stronghold of the CPI(M) in north Kerala. The party remains undefeated in Payyanur and has lost only once in Taliparamba since 1967.
Kunhikrishnan, a district committee member in Kannur, publicly alleged in January that several leaders, including sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan, had embezzled party funds collected for the family of a martyr and for constructing an area committee office in Payyanur. The CPI(M) rejected the allegations, stating that all funds were properly accounted for and audited.
“I have no other choice but to fight as an Independent. This is a fight against corruption,” Kunhikrishnan said on March 16. However, electoral arithmetic appears unfavourable to him, as the CPI(M) candidate secured 62% of the vote in 2021, winning by over 49,000 votes.
In Taliparamba, Govindan, a district secretariat member, entered the fray in protest against the party’s decision to field PK Shyamala, a senior leader and wife of party state secretary MV Govindan. The latter is also the sitting MLA from the constituency but chose not to contest due to organisational responsibilities. Govindan alleged that Shyamala was not the preferred choice among a majority of district leaders and that their views were ignored. The UDF is backing his candidature in an attempt to breach a CPI(M) stronghold it last won in 1970.
The fourth rebel, Sasi, is contesting from Ottapalam in Palakkad district, where the CPI(M) won 10 of the 12 seats in 2021. A former MLA from Shornur, Sasi had distanced himself from party activities for nearly eight years after being temporarily suspended in 2018 over allegations of misconduct involving a woman party member. His participation in a meeting of CPI(M) rebels earlier this month led to his expulsion from primary membership.
Although Sasi was initially expected to join the Congress and contest on its symbol, the UDF ultimately decided to support him as an Independent candidate in Ottapalam, where a Congress MLA was last elected in 1987. He now faces sitting CPI(M) MLA K Premkumar and BJP candidate Major Ravi.
J Prabhash, a former political science professor at Kerala University, said this is the first time so many senior CPI(M) leaders have rebelled during an Assembly election.
“The candidature of the rebels and the support extended by the UDF will certainly affect the CPI(M) in these seats and beyond. They may be party strongholds, but if there are winds of heavy anti-incumbency, two or three of them could even win. Beyond these seats, there is a section of Left sympathisers who feel that the LDF government should not return at any cost. They will be inspired by the rebels to vote against the party,” Prabhash said.
“There is a feeling that all decisions in the party are taken by a select few and there is anger among cadres against that. So all the issues — misuse of party funds and nepotism — will instill confidence among the cadres to vote against the government,” he added.
