ALAPPUZHA: After leading the CPM in Alappuzha for two decades, strongman G Sudhakaran is set to be sidelined in the party. On Saturday, a two-member party commission, formed to examine the lapses of former minister and then sitting MLA in the assembly election campaign in Ambalapuzha constituency, started recording the statements of party leaders.
The commission comprising CPM state secretariat members Elamaram Kareem and K J Thomas reached the party district committee office and recorded the statements of Sudhakaran, Ambalapuzha MLA H Salam, Ambalapuzha area secretary A Omanakuttan and district committee members K Prasad and D Lakshmanan.
At the sitting on Saturday, a large number of leaders from the district gave statements against Sudhakaran which is seen as the beginning of the move to corner him. A source said Sudhakaran submitted a detailed report to the commission and explained his stance. The commission was appointed after Salam filed a complaint to the party that Sudhakaran did not actively campaign in Ambalapuzha and tried to defeat him.
After the assembly elections, Sudhakaran had said on April 11 that ‘political criminals’ were working against him, giving a hint that he was ready for a final fight. Soon after the elections, party leaders from the district had alleged that he was inactive in campaigning. It was widely reported in the media. It was seen as a move to target him if the LDF candidates in the district suffered defeat in any of the sure seats.
However, the party registered a thumping victory, but his rivals were not ready to spare him. Some of the leaders and their supporters alleged that Sudhakaran had been inactive in campaigning, which led to the reduced victory margin in Ambalapuzha assembly seat. TNIE had reported about the move on April 23, before the election results came out.
Sudhakaran was an excellent minister and a leader with a good track record, said a political observer. “His development initiatives were unparalleled in the history of Alappuzha and his leadership had been the party’s strength for the past 15 years. However, next generation leaders have risen in revolt against him with the aim of capturing power in the party ahead of the upcoming party conference.
As part of the move, they are targeting Sudhakaran,” he said. His rivals had also played a dominant role in spreading propaganda against him and the case filed by his personal staff member’s wife in his final months in office was a planned move in that direction. A former local body member had also filed a police complaint against him.
Party’s stance hurts him
G Sudhakaran was totally disappointed at the stance of the party state leadership which lent its ear to the complaint of his opponents than his version on what was brewing up in the political cauldron of Alappuzha. Sudhakaran’s rivals put up posters in Ambalappuzha after the assembly elections claiming that he was a traitor. But the party chose to trivialise it. At the same time, the party took a serious view of the complaint on the posters that were put up against Salam after his candidature was announced. Such a poster appeared in Alappuzha assembly constituency against the candidate P P Chitharanjan. But nobody complained about it.
Charges against Sudhakaran