Kannur, 18 March (H.S.):The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has gone into caution mode in Kannur district amid rising internal dissent, particularly in the key constituencies of Taliparamba and Payyannur ahead of the Assembly elections.

The party leadership has directed cadres to remain vigilant as rebel leaders challenge official candidates and intensify criticism against the district and state leadership. The situation has become politically sensitive in Taliparamba, where CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan is scheduled to attend a constituency convention on Wednesday in support of Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate P.K. Shyamala.

The controversy stems from allegations raised by expelled CPM leader T.K. Govindan, who accused the state leadership of imposing Shyamala’s candidature despite opposition within the district committee. He claimed that the decision reflected the personal interest of M.V. Govindan and was facilitated by district leadership, bypassing internal democratic processes.

The CPM, however, took strong disciplinary action against T.K. Govindan, expelling him from the party for anti-party activities. District Secretary K.K. Ragesh dismissed the allegations and accused Govindan of succumbing to “parliamentary opportunism” and attempting to damage the party’s unity.

Tensions escalated further with protest demonstrations and political meetings held in Malappattam, indicating unrest among sections of party workers. Despite this, the CPM leadership is moving to consolidate support and contain the fallout.

T.K. Govindan has now announced that he will contest the Taliparamba seat as an independent candidate, stating that he is willing to accept support from all parties except the BJP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

In Payyannur, another setback emerged as CPM district committee member V. Kunjikrishnan resigned, alleging financial irregularities involving MLA T.V. Madhusoodanan in connection with martyr fund collections. He too will contest as an independent candidate, with the RSP extending support.

The developments point to a challenging phase for the CPM in its traditional Kannur stronghold.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman