2 months ago
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Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] dissident and erstwhile Minister G. Sudhakaran crossed the governmental Rubicon and dared the Left Democratic Front (LDF) successful its location turf by filing his information arsenic a “people’s Independent” successful the Ambalappuzha Assembly constituency successful Alappuzha connected Saturday (March 21, 2026).
Mr. Sudhakaran, who had breached his six-decade-old relation with the enactment aft feeling “discriminated against” that helium was not fixed a word waiver accorded to different leaders for contesting the 2026 polls, has acceptable the signifier for a riveting electoral conflict with his one-time protege H. Salam of the CPI(M).
As accidental would person it, Mr. Salam ran into Mr. Sudhakaran, his erstwhile mentor-turned-bitter critic, astatine the Alappuzha District Collectorate. Both leaders shook hands and wished each different well.
Mr. Sudhakaran, who was elected 4 times connected the CPI(M) summons from Ambalappuzha, notably eschewed his accustomed signifier of paying respects to the martyrs of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising astatine the Valiya Chudukadu burial ground, considered hallowed by communists, earlier filing his nomination.
Instead, Mr. Sudhakaran arrived astatine the Collectorate consecutive from his residence successful the institution of scores of Congress workers. The seasoned person had initially said helium would spell the full hog unsocial and required nary roadshows, predetermination conventions oregon booth committees.
Later, Mr. Sudhakaran accepted the unconditional enactment of the United Democratic Front (UDF), which appeared keen to discomfit the CPI(M) successful its location turf. He is scheduled to enactment successful a UDF roadshow and be an predetermination gathering chaired by AICC wide caput K.C. Venugopal, MP.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan had termed Mr. Sudhakaran’s “defection” a UDF-orchestrated “miracle”.
The UDF believed that Mr. Sudhakaran’s candidature would assistance divided LDF votes successful Alappuzha. The CPI(M) appeared assured that its organisational strength, with 190 booth committees successful the Ambalappuzha constituency alone, would spot it to victory.
Meanwhile, the sidelining of enactment hopefuls for Mr. Sudhakaran sparked a rebellion successful the Congress, with erstwhile KPCC wide caput M.J. Job and his loyalists defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. Sudhakaran, who has been trenchantly captious of his erstwhile ideological compatriots connected the Left of late, including Minister for Culture Saji Cherian and Mr. Salam, has promised to run against Agriculture Minister and CPI person P. Prasad successful Cherthala aft expressing bitterness that the second had questioned his communist moorings.
Mr. Sudhakaran had faced flak from the CPI(M), including Mr. Cherian, for “betraying” the party.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had told quality channels connected Friday that Mr. Sudhakaran had not responded to his calls, and that the veteran’s “deviation to the right, fuelled by parliamentary ambitions,” had manifested overmuch earlier, a assertion the erstwhile Minister has repeatedly refuted.
