CPM suffers blow in Ernakulam as 53 workers switch allegiances

KOCHI: In a notable shift within the local political landscape, 53 former CPM workers in Ernakulam have officially joined the CPI. The group was led by Shaju Jacob, the former CPM Koothattukulam Area Secretary, who was expelled from the party following the recent panchayat elections.

Tensions between Jacob and the CPM leadership had been simmering for some time. The friction intensified after the Left’s defeat in the last assembly elections. In the subsequent panchayat elections, the CPM suffered a significant blow when all of its candidates lost—with the sole exception of Shaju Jacob.
Rather than viewing his victory as a success, the CPM leadership attributed the party's overall failure to Jacob's influence and expelled him immediately after the polls.

The 53 members who followed Jacob into the CPI include several individuals who previously held key organisational positions. The group officially joined the party in the presence of CPI state executive member KK Ashraf and former MLAs Babu Paul and Eldho Abraham.
Following the induction, Shaju Jacob suggested that this move is just the first wave, stating that more CPM workers are expected to defect to the CPI in the coming days.