CPM witnesses rebellion in Taliparamba seat as well; T K Govindan leaves party, to contest against P K Shyamala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM, which had projected confidence by announcing its candidates on the day the Legislative Assembly election was declared, has suffered a major setback in Kannur and other regions. T K Govindan, who has been a district secretariat member for nine years and a district committee member for more than 25 years, has announced that he will contest in Taliparamba against P K Shyamala, the wife of state party secretary M V Govindan. Govindan resigned from the party before making this decision. The development follows the resistance raised by senior leader G Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha, another CPM stronghold in Alappuzha district. Govindan also stated that he would accept the support of the UDF if it is offered.

The decision to field Shyamala in Taliparamba reportedly triggered strong protests within the party. M V Govindan, who represented the constituency as MLA three times, is said to have given the seat to his wife for the fourth time, leading to criticism from within the party. There has also been strong criticism over how Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan approved the decision.

Strong opposition to Shyamala’s candidature was raised during the district secretariat meeting. Similar criticism was voiced in the district committee and constituency committee meetings, where all but three members reportedly opposed the move. M V Govindan was present at the meeting, and several members directly requested him not to field his wife as the candidate.

However, according to T K Govindan, the district secretariat did not forward the names of other potential candidates, including N Sukanya, to the state leadership. Instead, only Shyamala’s name was sent to the higher committee, which later approved it. Govindan also accused the state party leadership of corruption and nepotism.

Fronts caught in political turmoil
The state’s election politics has entered an unexpected phase of turbulence, affecting all three major political fronts. Along with T K Govindan in Taliparamba, V Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur and G Sudhakaran in Ambalappuzha have entered the fray as independent candidates against the CPM leadership. Political observers say the impact of these rebellions will not remain limited to those constituencies.

While the Congress leadership appears encouraged by the possibility of giving constituencies to leaders leaving the CPM, it is also creating concern, as many of the party’s own aspiring candidates are becoming dissatisfied. In Ambalappuzha, a KPCC general secretary resigned after the party decided to support G Sudhakaran. As leaders like Aisha Potty and P K Sasi leave the CPM and move closer to Congress, some long-time Congress workers feel sidelined.

The Congress leadership is also facing a challenge in dealing with former KPCC president K Sudhakaran, who is preparing to contest from Kannur, challenging the party leadership. Internal disagreements have already forced the UDF to postpone the announcement of its candidate list by a day.

Meanwhile, the BJP has announced a list of 47 candidates, but the representation of backward communities in the list is reportedly below ten. Disputes over candidates still remain in constituencies such as Thrippunithura, Kodungallur, and Kayamkulam. The overall nature of representation in the NDA will become clear only after seat-sharing talks with BDJS are completed and the remaining candidates are announced.