THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Just months remaining for the crucial assembly election, the Kerala CPM has found itself in fresh trouble after allegations of receiving large sums of money from businessman came up against its leaders. The new controversy erupted after a Chennai based businessman alleged that a private complaint he submitted to the party polit bureau has been submitted as primary evidence in Delhi High court in a defamation case against him.
Businessman Sharshad B in an email to CPM general secretary MA Baby has alleged that he suspects the involvement of Shyam, son of CPM state secretary MV Govindan in leaking the complaint. Sharshad had filed the complaint against Rajesh Krishna, who is the national executive member of the Association of Indian Communists (AIC) an international wing of the CPM.
Rajesh later filed a defamation case against Sharshad. According to Sharshad, to support the allegation Rajesh submitted Sharshad's complaint to PB, as evidence.
Sharshad also alleged that since Shyam has close association with Rajesh Krisha particularly with respect to financial dealings, he has reason to suspect Shyam’s involvement in leaking the complaint.
In his complaint, Sharshad had alleged that from the account of a company named Kingdom India linked to Rajesh Krishna ‘large scale of transactions has been made to major leaders of the left. This was done not just during election time. "There have been numerous instances of Rajesh hijacking celebrities at the expense of others, including party leaders arriving in the UK and engaging in nefarious activities not in line with party values, ideas or general social practices. Rajesh's intervention in connection with former Speaker Sree Ramakrishnan's visit to the UK has created a situation of great contempt for the party,” the complaint said.
According to Sharshad the complaint he submitted to PB at the time of Madurai CPM party congress was later handed over to the state unit for further enquiry. In his complaint to PB, Sharshad alleged that certain party leaders and ministers in the earlier LDF government and this government had received unaccounted money. The documents, including the complaint and the letter to PB, surfaced on Sunday.
Meanwhile, CPM central and state leadership dismissed the allegations as baseless. “The allegation raised by an individual called Sharshad against party leaders and my son are absolute nonsense,” CPM state secretary MV Govindan told TNIE. “The party has no links with such allegations. The PB has not forwarded any such complaint to the state party unit,” he said. He also said that Sharshad is trying to involve the party in a dispute between him and Rajesh. “The CPM has no relation with it,” Govindan added.
CPM general secretary MA baby also dismissed the allegation and told TNIE that the PB has not forwarded the complaint to the Kerala unit. “This is not an issue in front of the party. The party is not going to discuss such things as there are serious issues to be discussed,” he said.
However, CPM sources, said the PB meeting, to be held on Monday would consider the issue and controversy erupted following it. With a crucial assembly election around the corner, there is apprehension among central leadership about the political consequences following the issue and the UDF and the BJP have already taken up the issue. MV Govindan is expected to give the state unit’s opinion about the allegation. The leaders at the centre will also have to explain about the outcome of the complaint received earlier.
Meanwhile, TNIE has found that Sharshad had given a series of video interviews to an online portal one year ago where he had raised almost all the allegations written in the complaint.
Sharshad told TNIE that he had given an interview to the online portal in May 2024. He said in 2022 he submitted a complaint to the then CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. “It was in 2025 April at the Madurai CPM party congress that I submitted an English translation of the original complaint to PB. I had filed complaints against Rajesh before the Thalassery Magistrate court and Ernakulam District Court alleging financial irregularities ,” he said.
Meanwhile, secretary of Association of Indian Communists (AIC) Britain and Ireland Janesh N told TNIE that Rajesh Krishna is still the national executive committee member of the party unit. “We have not received any direction from the central committee against Rajesh. The complaint was filed to the PB. Hence, it is the highest body to enquire about it and to report to us if anything is found. No such direction has not come. The AIC works directly under the control of the CPM central committee,” he said.