PALAKKAD/ALAPPUZHA: CPM is facing unprecedented dissension within its ranks amid its regional meetings, with disputes often coming out into the open.
In Palakkad district, a dissident group has set up a ‘parallel office’ at Kozhinjampara, while an area committee member in Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, has joined the BJP.
Furthermore, the CPM Karunagappally area committee was dissolved on Saturday following disruptions in local conferences and protests by the rebel faction members, who carried ‘Save CPM’ placards at the meetings.
In Kozhinjampara, the parallel office - named EMS memorial - was inaugurated on S Muhammed Farooq, chairman of the Development Standing Committee of the Kozhinjampara gram panchayat, on Saturday. According to dissenting party members, this office will function as a public service centre to address the needs of the local community.
The conflict in the Kozhinjampara local committee was triggered following the appointment of Arun Prasad, who defected from the Congress, as the local secretary.
The dissident group accused the Palakkad district leadership, especially district secretary E N Suresh Babu, of acting unilaterally. When the district leadership organised a meeting, the dissenting faction also held a parallel meeting in an auditorium in Kozhinjampara. The faction members stated that they will not leave the CPM, but will continue organisational activities independently.
Meanwhile, in a highly publicised event in Thiruvananthapuram, CPM’s Kayamkulam area committee member and district panchayat member Bipin C Babu joined the BJP on Saturday.
CPM lost its credentials, more people will leave party: Bipin
While welcoming Bipin into the party, BJP state president K Surendran said more dissidents from the CPM will join the party soon.
“Senior leaders, including G Sudhakaran, have resentment in the CPM and more leaders from Alappuzha will join the party soon,” he said.
After joining the BJP, Bipin launched a scathing attack on the CPM, claiming that the party had lost its secular credentials and was controlled by communal forces.
“The state of senior leader G Sudhakaran is also pathetic. Hundreds of party members resigned from the party and after the organisational election, more people will leave the party. I will resign from the district panchayat member post in coming days,” Bipin said.
Bipin had expressed his discontent earlier, protesting the CPM’s decision not to invite senior leader G Sudhakaran to area conferences. Bipin had stated that Sudhakaran was being deliberately ignored by the party leadership.
Bipin was the district panchayat vice-president but was removed from the post after his wife filed a domestic violence petition against him to the party-state leadership and police in May, 2023.
In the petition, she mentioned that Bipin was in a relationship with another lady and that he sought a sorcer’s help to avoid her. Following this, he was removed from the vice-president post and was also suspended from the party. However, he was inducted into the party before the Lok Sabha election.
In response to the allegations, CPM Alappuzha district secretary R Nazar clarified that Sudhakaran wasn’t invited to avoid causing inconvenience to him.
He emphasised that Sudhakaran, having resigned from all organizational responsibilities, is now an ordinary party worker. However, Nazar noted that Sudhakaran was still invited to party activities and meetings.