Kollam: A year and a half after the CPM’s state conference in Kollam, the party is yet to present the event’s income and expenditure accounts, triggering a fresh controversy within its ranks.

The conference, held from March 6 to 9, 2025, was preceded by an extensive fund-raising drive that is estimated to have collected around ₹5.5 crore. As is customary in the party, the reception committee is expected to meet within a few months of the conference to present the accounts, which are then reported to the party units. That, however, has not happened in Kollam.

The delay has fuelled allegations that the surplus generated from the conference was diverted for other purposes in the district. Though the issue has reached the state leadership, the final accounts are yet to be presented. So far, the only figure available is an estimated surplus of around ₹65 lakh.

The controversy comes at a time when the CPM leadership in Kannur is already facing the heat over alleged irregularities in the C V Dhanaraj martyr fund and the fund collected for party office construction. Despite the allegations, the party still has not been able to make the accounts of these funds public.

The other day, CPM held a meeting in Payyannur, attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to explain its position on the allegations. The leadership, however, remained silent on the accounts of the funds under scrutiny. The delay in presenting the accounts of the Kollam conference has now added to questions over financial transparency within the party.

The bulk of the funds for the state conference was raised through hundis (collection boxes) placed at the homes of party members. With around 55,000 party members in the district, each was asked to contribute at least ₹500, though most are understood to have given more. Party sympathisers also contributed, while collections were made from various institutions and commercial establishments. Around ₹5.5 crore is estimated to have been collected through the fund-raising drive.

The conference was organised through a 1,001-member general committee, a 101-member executive committee and 15 subcommittees. Soon after the event, the subcommittees handed over their accounts, along with the supporting vouchers, to the party leadership. The reception committee, however, is yet to place the accounts before the party units concerned.

Within the party, the delay in finalising the accounts is being attributed to the health problems of CPM district secretary S Sudevan, who also served as secretary of the conference reception committee.