PALAKKAD: In a bold recalibration of electoral strategy, the Congress leadership has initiated high-level back-channel negotiations to field Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) chairman and controversial CPM strongman P K Sasi from the Ottapalam Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Highly placed Congress sources confirmed that discussions are going on, and district leaders have been informally instructed not to promote any alternative candidate for Ottapalam until a final decision is taken on Sasi, a former CPM MLA and once-dominant political force in Palakkad.
However, Sasi denied the development. “I have never thought of anything like that. No such discussions have taken place,” he told TNIE.
Despite the denial, senior Congress leaders made it clear that the party views Sasi as a high-value political acquisition capable of altering the electoral arithmetic in Ottapalam, a constituency the CPM has held comfortably in recent elections.
“Ottapalam is winnable if Sasi contests. He still commands a loyal organisational base and enjoys significant influence among grassroots workers and cooperative sector networks,” said a senior KPCC leader, requesting anonymity.
In 2021, CPM’s K Premkumar won the Ottapalam constituency with 74,859 votes, defeating Congress candidate P Sarin, who secured 59,707 votes with a margin of 15,152 votes. The Congress leadership believes Sasi’s entry could bridge that gap and convert a structurally difficult seat into a competitive battleground.
“However, several crucial aspects remain unresolved, including whether Sasi would be willing to accept the offer, the United Democratic Front’s collective decision on accommodating him, and whether he would contest officially as a UDF candidate or as an independent backed by the front. These issues are yet to be discussed in detail and finalised,” the leader added.
“If Sasi crosses over, it will not be just an individual defection – it will bring along an entire political ecosystem,” said a senior Congress functionary familiar with the negotiations.
KPCC secretary P Harigovindan, who was under consideration for the Ottapalam seat, is likely to be shifted to another constituency, possibly Shoranur, if Sasi formally joins the UDF.
Sasi’s internal war in the CPM
Sasi’s possible crossover follows years of escalating conflict with the CPM district leadership, which steadily dismantled his authority amid a series of controversies and disciplinary actions.
While CPM leaders publicly dismissed the possibility of Sasi defecting, they privately acknowledged his growing alienation. “He may have differences, but leaving CPM is not easy. Whoever contests from Ottapalam, the LDF will retain the seat with a higher margin,” said a senior CPM district leader.