Internal strife in Payyannur CPM: Posters blame local leadership for election debacle

KANNUR: The internal crisis within the CPM’s Payyannur unit has intensified following the emergence of posters blaming senior party leaders for the defeat of LDF candidate T.I. Madhusoodanan. The posters, found at the Kokkot underpass and other key locations in the town, specifically name several prominent local leaders, accusing them of orchestrating the electoral setback.

The development follows a period of growing unrest within the party ranks after V. Kunhikrishnan, a former CPM District Committee member, secured a stunning victory as a UDF-backed independent candidate. Kunhikrishnan, who was expelled from the CPM after blowing the whistle on the controversial ‘Martyr Fund’ embezzlement issue, won by a margin of 7,487 votes.

The scale of the upset is significant considering the 2021 Assembly election results, where T.I. Madhusoodanan had cruised to victory with a massive majority of 49,780 votes. Political analysts view Kunhikrishnan’s win as a clear reflection of the deep-seated resentment among the party’s grassroots workers against the local leadership.