ALAPPUZHA: Veteran communist leader and former minister G Sudhakaran, who had been ill for the past few weeks and remained almost bedridden after suffering multiple fractures in his leg, still made it a point to vote in the local body elections.
Sudhakaran arrived at the polling booth in Paravoor Government Higher Secondary School in a car, accompanied by his wife, Jubilee Navaprabha. He stepped out of the vehicle and slowly walked to the booth with the help of a walker. "The vote is the power of the common man in the democratic process, and I am committed to casting it whenever my health allows," he told reporters.
Sudhakaran had been keeping a distance from the CPM district leadership since the 2021 assembly elections. His occasional criticisms had reportedly irritated senior leaders, leading them to sideline the former minister. The differences became public, prompting attempts by the party's state leadership to resolve the issue, but the rift only widened.
On November 22, Sudhakaran slipped and fell in the bathroom of his house, suffering serious injuries. He underwent surgery, and doctors advised three months of complete bed rest. As a result, he was unable to attend any election campaign events, marking the absence of the senior leader from the political scene. After the incident, several leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had visited him at his residence to inquire about his health.