Kerala CPI(M)reels under dissidents' threat

CPI(M) in Kerala, which has already been reeling under the threat of dissidents at various places, including its citadel Kannur, suffered a major blow on Monday as one more prominent leader from Kannur announced his decision to contest the assembly election as an independent candidate against party state secretary M V Govindan's wife, P K Shyamala.

CPI(M) Kannur district secretary member T K Govindan announced the decision to contest against Shyamala at Taliparambu, a seat from which only CPI(M) candidates have won in all elections, except once in the 1970s. Currently, M V Govindan is the Taliparamba MLA.

"The decision to field the party secretary's wife in the seat being vacated by the secretary was against the party's morality. The state secretary went ahead with the decision to field his wife as his successor despite objections raised by party members," T K Govindan told reporters.

Already another prominent local leader, V Kunhikrishnan, who was recently expelled by the party for exposing the alleged martyr fund swindling by Payyanur sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan, announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate against Madhusoodanan. Only CPI(M) MLAs have so far won from the Payyanur constituency.

CPI(M) veteran leader and former minister G Sudhakaran, who recently quit the party, aggrieved over the alleged neglect being shown towards him by the leadership, also announced his candidacy as an independent MLA in Ambalapuzha in Alappuzha.

Former three-time CPI(M) MLA P Aisha Potti, who recently joined the Congress by accusing the CPI(M) leadership of neglecting her, is likely to be fielded by the Congress at Kottarakkara in Kollam.

Former MLA and prominent leader of Palakkad district P K Sasi, who was recently expelled from CPI(M) for raising serious allegations against party leaders, is planning to contest from Ottappalam in Palakkad.

T K Goviindan had also raised financial misappropriation allegations regarding some events conducted by the party in Kannur. He also asked how a strong leader like Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could support such injustices and misappropriations in the party.

Already, there was widespread resentment in the party over the alleged sidelining of popular leader and former health minister K K Shailaja by denying her sitting seat, Mattanur, in Kannur and fielding her at Peravoor in the district, which is the sitting seat of Congress state president Sunny Joseph.

Sources close to the party said that voices of dissent coming out from the party citadel, Kannur, were quite surprising and reflect the extreme resentment within the party towards the leadership.