ALAPPUZHA: In what could deal a blow to the CPM ahead of the assembly elections, senior leader and former minister G Sudhakaran on Thursday declared that he will contest as an independent candidate from Ambalapuzha, with the Congress signalling it may consider supporting him.
Announcing the decision at a press conference at his residence in Punnapra, Sudhakaran said his candidature would be a protest against what he described as the “hostile attitude of the CPM’s district leadership”.
“I will contest the election as an independent candidate. I have not made any decision to join any other party or front. I expect the support of the people of the constituency,” said Sudhakaran, who has had a strained relationship with the party leadership for the past few years.
While welcoming Sudhakaran’s move, the Congress said the party will soon take a decision on whether to back his candidature. “No genuine Communist can continue in the CPM in Kerala. We will decide on supporting Sudhakaran after internal discussions,” said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.
Sudhakaran’s exit will be a setback for the CPM in Alappuzha — home to revolutionary struggles and Communist stalwarts like T V Thomas, K R Gouri and V S Achuthanandan.
A four-term MLA, Sudhakaran represented Ambalappuzha constituency from 2006 to 2021, before being dropped by the party. Ambalapuzha is a CPM stronghold that has elected veterans such as VS and Susheela Gopalan in the past.
Sudhakaran, who served as a minister in the governments led by Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan, used the nearly 90-minute press conference to air his grievances against the party leadership.
He alleged that CPM cadre had subjected him to sustained cyber attacks, including criticism targeting his family members.
According to him, the party leadership failed to take action against those responsible despite repeated complaints.
“Cyber warriors even criticised my father and my martyr brother G Bhuvaneswaran. It caused me deep pain,” said the veteran leader.
The veteran leader also revisited internal disputes that surfaced after the 2021 assembly election. The CPM had then appointed a commission headed by Elamaram Karim to examine complaints raised by a section of district leaders against Sudhakaran.
He alleged that his 21-page submission to the commission was not properly examined and that the findings were tilted in favour of those who had levelled the allegations.
In the 2021 assembly elections, the CPM denied him a ticket citing the party’s decision to replace sitting MLAs who had completed two consecutive terms. The party instead fielded H Salam in Ambalapuzha, who went on to win with a record margin. Soon after the polls, the party publicly censured Sudhakaran for allegedly failing to work wholeheartedly for its candidate. District leaders accused him of adopting a “lackadaisical approach” during the election campaign.
In 2022, Sudhakaran was removed from the CPM state committee, of which he was a member for 43 years, and demoted to a branch committee member in Alappuzha.
Since then, he largely maintained a low profile while expressing dissatisfaction in party circles over what he felt was neglect by the leadership.
On Thursday, Sudhakaran also rejected allegations that he had worked against the party candidate in 2021, pointing out that the CPM nominee had secured a record victory.
“If I had worked against the party nominee, such a huge margin of victory would not have been possible,” he said.
Sudhakaran, who turns 80 this November, has been associated with the CPM since 1967 and was among the founding leaders and the first state president of the SFI.
In 1977, his brother Bhuvaneswaran was killed during campus violence at NSS College, Pandalam, amid clash between activists of the Left student movement and the KSU.
Political observers believe the fallout from his decision will largely remain confined to the Alappuzha district.
Political analyst M Jayachandran said Sudhakaran’s rebellion is directed primarily against the CPM’s district leadership rather than the state leadership or Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“Therefore, the impact of his exit is unlikely to be felt across the state. At best, it could influence political equations in parts of Alappuzha, particularly in Ambalapuzha,” he said.
