Kannur (Kerala): The CPI(M) leadership in its citadel Kannur in Kerala is keeping fingers crossed ahead of the Assembly elections as two prominent local hardcore party leaders are contesting as rebels with the backing of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
Taliparambu and Payyannur are witnessing the rebel threats. The CPI(M) won all elections in Taliparambu except in 1970, whereas it never tasted defeat in Payyannur.
T K Govindan is contesting against CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan's wife P K Shyamala in Taliparambu.
Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning endsThe seat is now held by M V Govindan, and the decision to give it to his wife - also a local-level CPI(M) leader - triggered unrest in the party.
Subsequently T K Govindan levelled a barrage of allegations against the party secretary as well as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's support for him.
In Payyanur, dissident leader V Kunhikrishnan is contesting against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan. Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the party after he raised allegations of misappropriation of a martyr's fund against Madhusoodanan and accused the party leadership of inaction against him.
Taliparambu and Payyannur being CPI(M) citadels, voices of dissent against the party leadership hardly come out. Its grassroots-level workers have a tradition of firmly standing with it in times of crisis.
However, local sources close to the party were not ruling out the possibility of resentment among the ordinary workers of the party towards the leadership being reflected on the ballots.
"Both Govindan and Kunhikrishnan are hardcore party workers with decades of loyalty towards the party. The issues they raised were not merely allegations. Hence, the chances of cracks in the CPI(M)'s vote banks in its strongholds are quite high this time. Those who are unable to speak out against the party could convey their resentment through the ballots," said a local political activist who chose to remain anonymous.
Meanwhile, there are criticisms against the Congress' strategy as well, especially in Taliparambu.
Congress candidate Abdul Rasheed recorded a nearly 8 percentage point increase in UDF votes in the 2021 elections, and CPI(M)'s victory margin was reduced to 22,689 from 40,617.
Hence, the Congress could have fielded its own candidate this time and taken advantage of the division in CPI(M) votes by the rebel candidate, sources pointed out.
The Congress' decision to back T K Govindan had even led to resentment within the party, which even led to rebel candidates from it contesting in Taliparambu.