Kollam: CPM leader Suja Chandrababu, former president of the Anchal panchayat in Kollam, joined the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Thursday. IUML president Sayed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal formally granted party membership to the Anchal native at an event held at the party office here.

Sadik Ali Thangal told the media that those who uphold secular values would join IUML.

Responding to Suja’s exit, CPM district secretary Jayamohan said she should explain the reasons behind her decision.

“She was a three-time member of the Anchal grama panchayat. The party had given her important positions, including the standing committee chairperson post in the block panchayat. She should think twice about whether the IUML lured her by offering higher posts. So far, she had never demanded any positions in the CPM. If she eyed any posts, she should have told the party leadership. I came to know about her IUML membership only when the media contacted me,” the CPM district secretary said.

Suja’s entry into the IUML, a major ally of the UDF, is seen as a significant blow to the CPM as the state heads towards Assembly elections expected in April.

On January 13, Aisha Potty, another senior CPM leader in the district and three-time Kottarakkara MLA, joined Congress. Last week, estranged CPM leader S Rajendran, a former Devikulam MLA, joined the BJP at an event held in Thiruvananthapuram.