Alappuzha, 12 March (H.S.): Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader G. Sudhakaran on Thursday dismissed speculation that he would contest the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections with the support of the United Democratic Front (UDF), stating that he has not agreed to contest as the candidate of any political front or party.

Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, Sudhakaran clarified that reports suggesting he had held discussions with opposition parties, particularly Congress leaders, were completely unfounded. He said he had neither spoken to leaders of the Congress nor reached any understanding with them regarding contesting the elections.

“I have not told anyone that I will contest the Assembly elections with the support of the UDF. Such claims are merely rumours,” Sudhakaran said. He also denied reports that emissaries from the CPM leadership had approached him for negotiations.

According to Sudhakaran, no party leaders had come to him with any specific mission. However, he acknowledged that some CPM leaders had visited him recently. State committee members and district committee members led by R. Nazar had called on him, while Sujatha and Harishankar had met him about a week earlier. He said Sujatha is a relative and that she had spoken about political matters during the meeting, while Harishankar did not take part in the discussion.

The veteran leader also clarified that he had not been forced to leave the party. He said he had simply chosen not to renew his party membership, but emphasized that he had not abandoned the ideological principles of the CPM.

“I have not given up the party’s ideology. I have read Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto, and every time I read the manifesto, my admiration for it only increases,” he said.

Sudhakaran, who has been associated with the communist movement for decades, said he had dedicated his life to the party and had no intention of criticising it or its organisational framework. However, he alleged that he had been subjected to character assassination.

He claimed that “political criminals” were being used within the party to target individuals and carry out personal attacks. Such tactics, he said, could only damage the party rather than strengthen it.

Reflecting on broader political trends, Sudhakaran said that political enthusiasm among young people in Kerala had declined. He stressed that public representatives should live simple lives, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s simplicity, and warned against the growing culture of extravagance and accumulation of wealth beyond one’s legitimate income.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman