Second blow to party in a month, CPM district committee member Suja Chandrababu joins Muslim League

KOLLAM: After former MLA Aisha Potty left the party, another woman leader has also left the CPM. Kollam district committee member Suja Chandrababu ended her thirty-year party affiliation and joined the Muslim League. She accepted the League membership from Panakkad Sayyid Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal. Suja, who was the district secretary of the Democratic Women's Association, is presently the association's state committee member. She was thrice the president of Anchal Panchayat.

Suja responded that she left the party against the stand of the CPM. She said that secularism is not in CPM as it is being said and that she joined the League without any promise. Suja said League is a movement that considers everyone equally and that has the same stance on the issues said by Aisha Potty.

Meantime, reports say the UDF is moving forward with the decision to field Aisha Potty in the Kottakara constituency. If Aisha Potty becomes the UDF candidate, the fight will be tough in the constituency where the LDF has good hopes. It is almost certain that Minister K N Balagopal will be the LDF candidate here. Aisha Potty's strength is her acceptance beyond politics. Aisha Potty, the LDF candidate, entered the assembly in 2006 by defeating R Balakrishna Pillai. She repeated her victory in Kottakara in 2011 and 2016. She also increased her majority significantly.