CPM State Committee member M V Jayarajan on Sunday indicated that former party members V Kunhikrishnan and T K Govindan could return to the party if they acknowledged and rectified their mistakes.

In an interview with a regional media outlet, Jayarajan said the CPM would welcome the rebel leaders back if they corrected what the party viewed as their mistakes. "The party has always been forgiving of those who have rectified their mistakes," Jayarajan said.

The controversy stems from the CPM's crushing defeat in the 2026 Assembly elections, which has widely been attributed to a series of decisions taken by the party leadership. The state leadership, particularly former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Secretary M V Govindan, has faced criticism over its handling of candidate selection and internal dissent.

One of the major controversies during the election was the martyr fund misappropriation row in Payyannur, which led to the expulsion of whistleblower V Kunhikrishnan from the party. The CPM subsequently fielded incumbent M V Madhusoodanan, against whom Kunhikrishnan had levelled the allegations. Kunhikrishnan later contested as a Congress-backed Independent and defeated Madhusoodanan in Payyanur, a party stronghold.

Another flashpoint was the party's decision to field P K Shyamala, M V Govindan's wife, from Taliparamba, overlooking veteran leader T K Govindan. Following the decision, Govindan quit the CPM, contested as a Congress-backed Independent and defeated Shyamala in the election.

In his interview, Jayarajan cited the examples of M V Raghavan and K R Gowri Amma, saying both leaders had eventually been welcomed back after correcting what the party considered their deviant political stance. "If they change their stance and decide to cooperate with the party, the CPM is not a party that will turn them away," he said.

Jayarajan also acknowledged that the party had made mistakes in candidate selection during the Assembly elections. He said the electoral outcome might have been different had the party fielded different candidates in Payyannur and Taliparamba. However, he argued that the outcome in Taliparamba remained uncertain because the electoral rolls had allegedly been affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

"Unlike Payyannur, victory could not have been guaranteed in Taliparamba. The SIR affected the voters' list there, so we cannot say with certainty that the result would have been favourable," Jayarajan said.

Responding to the remarks, CPM State Secretary M V Govindan said Jayarajan had merely reiterated the party's existing position. "There is nothing new in what he said. This is the stand the party has already taken," Govindan told reporters on Sunday.

"If they correct their mistakes, we will accept them back," he added. Asked what mistakes the two leaders had committed, Govindan said they had acted against the party's interests and referred to the duo as 'class traitors'. "Candidate selection was only one side of the issue. They went on to contest the elections as Congress-backed independents," he said.

However, Kunhikrishnan dismissed the remarks, saying there had never been any clarity on why he was expelled from the party. "They have never clarified what mistake I committed. They expelled me without explaining what I had done wrong," Kunhikrishnan told the media.

Responding to Govindan's description of him as a "class traitor", Kunhikrishnan said the term was routinely used by the CPM against those who opposed the party. "These are just phrases the CPM uses against those it takes disciplinary action against. It has a standard vocabulary for such situations. They use these terms whether they are warranted or not," he said.

Asked about the possibility of returning to the party, Kunhikrishnan said the decision rested with the CPM. "The party expelled me, so it is for them to decide whether they want to take me back," he added.

Jayarajan's remarks come less than a month after the CPM State Committee admitted that lapses by the leadership had contributed to the party's poor performance in the 2026 Assembly elections. After the meeting, Govindan said the party would correct its course and address the shortcomings identified during the review.

The State Committee meeting also witnessed sharp criticism over the selection of P K Shyamala as the party's candidate from Taliparamba. Several members reportedly argued that the decision itself had been flawed, contending that both the Kannur district leadership, which proposed her candidature, and the state leadership, which approved it, were equally responsible for the electoral setback.