<p>Kannur: The CPI(M) leadership is keeping its fingers crossed in its citadel Kannur this assembly election as two prominent local hardcore leaders of the party are contesting as rebels with the backing of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).</p><p>Taliparambu and Payyannur are witnessing the rebel threat. In Taliparambu the CPI(M) has won in all the elections except in 1970 whereas in Payyannur the party has never tasted defeat. </p><p>T K Govindan, a prominent local leader of the party, is contesting against party state secretary M V Govindan's wife P K Shayamala in Taliparambu.</p><p>The seat is now held by M V Govindan and the decision to give the seat to his wife, who is also a party local leader, triggered unrest in the party. Subsequently T K Govindan came out with a barrage of allegations against the party secretary as well as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's support to him. </p>.Kerala assembly elections 2026 | Pinarayi tells a different story about CM Vijayan.<p>In Payyanur, dissident leader V Kunhikrishnan is contesting against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan. Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the party after he raised a martyr fund misappropriation allegation against Madhusoodanaan and accused the party leadership of inaction against him.</p><p>The Congress-led United Democratic Front has backed both T K Govindan and V Kunhikrishnan.</p><p>Being CPI(M)'s citadel, voices of dissent against the party leadership hardly come out of Kannur. The grassroot level workers of the party have a tradition of firmly standing with the party at the time of crisis.</p><p>However, local sources close to the party are not ruling out chances of resentment among the ordinary workers of the party towards the leadership reflecting on the ballots. </p><p>"Both Govindan and Kunhikrishnan are hardcore party workers with decades of loyalty towards the party. The issues they raised were also not just allegations. Hence the chances of cracks in CPI(M) vote banks in its strongholds are quite high this time. Those who are unable to speak out against the party could convey their resentment through the ballots," a local political activist, who refused to be quoted, said. </p><p>Meanwhile, there are criticisms against the Congress's strategy too, especially in Talaiparambu. </p><p>In the 2021 elections, Congress candidate Abdul Rasheed had recorded nearly eight percent increase in UDF votes and CPI(M)'s victory margin was reduced to 22,689 from 40,617. Hence the Congress could have fielded its own candidate this time and taken advantage of the division in CPI(M) votes by the rebel candidate, sources have pointed out.</p><p>The party's decision to back Govindan has led to resentment in the Congress, which in turn led to rebel candidates of Congress in Taliparambu.</p>
<p>Kannur: The CPI(M) leadership is keeping its fingers crossed in its citadel Kannur this assembly election as two prominent local hardcore leaders of the party are contesting as rebels with the backing of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).</p><p>Taliparambu and Payyannur are witnessing the rebel threat. In Taliparambu the CPI(M) has won in all the elections except in 1970 whereas in Payyannur the party has never tasted defeat. </p><p>T K Govindan, a prominent local leader of the party, is contesting against party state secretary M V Govindan's wife P K Shayamala in Taliparambu.</p><p>The seat is now held by M V Govindan and the decision to give the seat to his wife, who is also a party local leader, triggered unrest in the party. Subsequently T K Govindan came out with a barrage of allegations against the party secretary as well as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's support to him. </p>.Kerala assembly elections 2026 | Pinarayi tells a different story about CM Vijayan.<p>In Payyanur, dissident leader V Kunhikrishnan is contesting against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan. Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the party after he raised a martyr fund misappropriation allegation against Madhusoodanaan and accused the party leadership of inaction against him.</p><p>The Congress-led United Democratic Front has backed both T K Govindan and V Kunhikrishnan.</p><p>Being CPI(M)'s citadel, voices of dissent against the party leadership hardly come out of Kannur. The grassroot level workers of the party have a tradition of firmly standing with the party at the time of crisis.</p><p>However, local sources close to the party are not ruling out chances of resentment among the ordinary workers of the party towards the leadership reflecting on the ballots. </p><p>"Both Govindan and Kunhikrishnan are hardcore party workers with decades of loyalty towards the party. The issues they raised were also not just allegations. Hence the chances of cracks in CPI(M) vote banks in its strongholds are quite high this time. Those who are unable to speak out against the party could convey their resentment through the ballots," a local political activist, who refused to be quoted, said. </p><p>Meanwhile, there are criticisms against the Congress's strategy too, especially in Talaiparambu. </p><p>In the 2021 elections, Congress candidate Abdul Rasheed had recorded nearly eight percent increase in UDF votes and CPI(M)'s victory margin was reduced to 22,689 from 40,617. Hence the Congress could have fielded its own candidate this time and taken advantage of the division in CPI(M) votes by the rebel candidate, sources have pointed out.</p><p>The party's decision to back Govindan has led to resentment in the Congress, which in turn led to rebel candidates of Congress in Taliparambu.</p>