Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday described dissident CPM leader G Sudhakaran's decision to contest from Ambalappuzha with UDF support as "utterly despicable", saying he had no other word to describe it.

In an interview with Manorama News, the Chief Minister also referred to Congress leader K Sudhakaran, stating that despite speculation, he had reaffirmed his loyalty to the party. "That is what a party member should do. I would say that is the right stand," he said. The CM alleged that G Sudhakaran had betrayed the trust reposed in him by the party by aligning with its political opponents.

The Chief Minister further said that the lure of positions could lead to moral decline, citing T K Govindan's exit from the CPM in Kannur. Referring to Taliparamba, he said there was no better woman candidate in the party than Shyamala and expressed regret over what he described as Govindan's "fall from grace".

"History has always had its share of traitors," he said, adding that such individuals rarely gain lasting acceptance.

Opposition reacts
Responding to the remarks, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan demanded that the Chief Minister withdraw his statement against G Sudhakaran and issue an apology. "G Sudhakaran is an exemplary Communist and a widely respected public figure. The Chief Minister used a term that should not be directed at a political opponent," he said.

Satheesan also recalled an earlier instance in which the Chief Minister used a derogatory term against former colleague N K Premachandran. "Now, from the Chief Minister's chair, the words 'utterly despicable' have been used again. It is the Chief Minister's standard that has fallen, not that of G Sudhakaran," he added. G Sudhakaran, meanwhile, said he would not respond to the Chief Minister's remarks for now.