Rift in Wayanad CPM over disciplinary action against party leader citing financial irregularity

Wayanad: The disciplinary action against an area committee member has caused a rift within the CPM district committee in Wayanad. Karshaka Sangham district president AV Jayan was demoted from the area committee to the local committee following allegations of financial irregularities against him. Four senior leaders walked out of the meeting of the Pulppalli area committee, which was called to report the action on Wednesday.

AV Jayan has also been removed from all elected party positions. 14 prominent leaders of the party from the region have decided to back out from party forums, expressing solidarity with Jayan, till the party withdraws the disciplinary measures.   

The factionalism within the party leadership, with former District Secretary P. Gagarin leading one camp and former MLA CK Sasi and present District Secretary K Rafeek leading the other, has been simmering in the party since the last party district conference held in December 2024. Leaders of both camps have been engaged in levelling allegations against each other. The climax of the fight was the exit of Gagarin from the post of District Secretary and the entry of the young leader K Rafeek as the new District Secretary.

The dissidents, who had walked out from the party area committee meeting, claimed that they took the extreme decision as the official faction continued to be vindictive towards them as they had supported former secretary P Gagarin. 

Referring to the allegation, Jayan said it was following a request from a person of Congress background that the party area committee had decided to mobilise funds for his treatment as part of the pain and palliative care activities of the party. A music event was also organised through which around ₹2 lakh was collected. The amount was deposited in a bank account and the 'cheque book' was duly given to the family to withdraw cash for the treatment of the youth.

The family had withdrawn an amount of ₹75000 from the account till the death of the youth on June 16, 2020, during the spread of Covid. Later, as per the decision of the party area committee, an amount of ₹75000 from the account was given as a loan to a party branch committee to purchase land for a party office. "The decision was taken in the presence ofthe  Pulppalli area secretary and other leaders. The party district committee now terms this as ‘financial irregularity’ and also demoted me for ‘violating the norms," Jayan said.

The three-member party commission also found that Jayan had not misused the funds for personal needs. "We have decided to walk out expressing solidarity with him and will appeal to the party state committee," said Adivasi Kshema Samithy district secretary A K Prasad. He said that till the party withdraws the action, they will stand with Jayan and will not associate with the party in any of the organisational activities.   

However, the CPM district committee in a press release justified the disciplinary action against Jayan, saying that there was a party decision not to divert the funds mobilised for charity to other needs.