Ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, the CPM is facing some serious internal issues, resulting in leaders leaving the party to build their own careers or planning to build new parties to assert their identity. As per reports, P.K. Sasi, Chairman of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, former MLA, and CPM leader from Palakkad, is at the centre of these developments.
Sources from Palakkad suggest that CPM rebels have started moves to form a new party based in Palakkad, in view of the imminent Assembly elections. Their design is to form a “Democratic Marxist Front”. The promoters intend to include P.K. Sasi, former MLA and former CPM leader, in the new party. However, Sasi has still not provided a favourable response.
Sasi had been facing allegations regarding sexual misconduct. In 2018, a DYFI woman leader accused Sasi of sexual abuse. He was subsequently suspended from the party for six months. On August 18, 2024, the leadership removed him from all elected posts in the party and restricted him to being a mere party member. Sasi was a CPM Palakkad district secretariat member and district president of CITU, the labour wing of the party.
Reportedly, the rebels have decided to convene a ‘Rebel Convention’ in the district. This is a joint operation by CPM rebels in the Kozhinjambara, Mannarkkad and Ottappalam regions. There are reports that the rebels do enjoy the support of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
CPM rebels in Kozhinjambara joined hands with the UDF in the recently concluded elections to the Local Self-Government Bodies. It was a hard blow to the CPM, and the party took the rebels’ moves seriously.
It is reported that the CPM district secretariat has discussed the movements of P.K. Sasi. There are hints of P.K. Sasi’s immediate resignation as the Chairman of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.
Congress is also trying to poach A. Suresh, the former PA of the late veteran CM and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. During the last twenty years of his life, V.S. Achuthanandan did not see eye to eye with the current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Over the last few months, several CPM leaders have left the party either to join the BJP or the Congress. Some of them are senior leaders and former MLAs.
The news of the latest developments from Palakkad is not a good sign for the CM Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM. It indicates, no doubt, that the ground is slipping from the CPM feet in Kerala. It looks like it may not take much time before the Kerala CPM goes the Bengal way. The corruption, despotism and high-handedness of the leadership, etc., are contributing to accelerating the inevitable process.
However, the CPM leadership is still described as arrogant and boastful. The CPM Palakkad district secretary stated that even though several veteran leaders have quit the party in the past, the party still remains unaffected.
