CPM Kannur Secretariat stormy over poll debacle; District Secretary draws flank

KANNUR: The ruling CPM’s Kannur District Secretariat meeting witnessed stormy scenes as leadership faced intense heat over the party's devastating debacle in its traditional strongholds of Payyanur and Taliparamba in the recent Assembly elections. District Secretary K.K. Ragesh reportedly bore the brunt of the criticism, with several members targeting his handling of the crises in both constituencies. The high-stakes meeting, which extended late into the night at the Azhikodan Mandiram, was held in the presence of CPM heavyweights, including State Secretary M.V. Govindan, E.P. Jayarajan, K.K. Shailaja, and P.K. Sreemathi. The primary trigger for the heated debate was the United Democratic Front's (UDF) shocking upsets in Payyanur and Taliparamba—areas historically considered impenetrable CPM bastions. The party suffered a prestigious blow in Payyanur, where rebel leader V. Kunhikrishnan—who had severed ties with the CPM over alleged embezzlement of a martyrs' fund—clinched victory with UDF backing. Similarly, in Taliparamba, former District Secretariat member T.K. Govindan, who revolted and quit the party after M.V. Govindan’s wife, P.K. Shyamala, was fielded as the candidate, won the seat with opposition support. Committee members noted that deep-seated factionalism and unchecked internal feuds in Payyanur triggered a massive erosion of the party's core vote bank. The review meeting also scrutinised other major electoral setbacks in the district, including the defeat of senior leader K.K. Shailaja in Peravoor following her shift from Mattannur. The leadership also expressed concern over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s sluggish performance in Dharmadam, where he failed to establish a decisive lead even after six rounds of counting. With internal friction boiling over, the post-mortem is expected to take an even more aggressive turn during the two-day District Committee meeting commencing today.