Long rows on assets, cash, stocks, and bonds in the candidate affidavit of 26-year-old Ashna Thambi, the SUCI (Socialist Unity Centre of India) (Communist) candidate in Ettumanoor draw a blank. 'Not applicable', that's how the rows read against information on income tax returns. Her net worth is ₹84, as shown in the affidavit.

She has ₹44 in the bank and ₹40 in cash in hand, which her mother gave her before she went to file her nomination. The party raised ₹10,000 for the security deposit to be remitted for filing the nomination.

Amid the flurry of money-loaded candidates and glitzy campaigns in the Kerala assembly polls, Ashna says social work is not about money.

The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) was founded in 1948. According to the party website, its founders considered the Communist Party of India to be insufficiently Marxist-Leninist and revolutionary. Its leader was Shibdas Ghosh, who was chosen to be the Centre‘s first General Secretary. 

As a full-time party worker for SUCI, Ashna lives day to day without a steady income, a choice driven more by ideology than anything else. “The fundamental objective is to help people, not to make money. You don’t enter social work to make money,” she says. This philosophy shapes her unusual asset profile.

“We are careful not to stray from our core communist ideology,” Ashna adds.

What drew her to the party is no mystery. Ashna grew up in Kulayettikara, a village in Ernakulam, with parents who are also SUCI workers. Her father, Thambi CK, a daily wage worker, is a district committee member, while her mother, Omana PP, also a daily wage worker, is a local committee member. Although her parents introduced her to the party and its values, it was during her college years that she fully grasped its ideological depth.

After completing her Plus Two, Ashna moved to Kochi to pursue her undergraduate degree. She stayed at the party’s Kochi office during this time, an experience that deeply influenced her and brought her closer to its work. “It was then that I could see for myself how SUCI stood for the people,” she says.

At the time, Ashna was pursuing a BA in English Literature at the Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. Despite her academic commitments, she remained actively involved in social work. “When exams approached, I prioritised my studies. But I took up social work during holidays and whenever I had the time,” she says.

Ashna later moved to Kottayam, where she completed a diploma in journalism. Even then, she continued living at the party’s district office and remained engaged in its activities. After completing her postgraduate studies, she abandoned the conventional path of seeking a job. Instead, she became a full-time media coordinator for the party.

When asked whether she has ever been troubled by the sporadic income and resulting instability, she recalled that the party looks after its members well, ensuring medical coverage and covering educational expenses. However, for Ashna, it is not this guarantee that seals her loyalty, but her immense desire to serve people. “Today I have food on my plate and a roof over my head. Tomorrow I may not. But I will figure it out then. Right now, the important thing to do is to help people,” she says.

Ashna continues to live at SUCI’s Kottayam office along with other party workers, and their lifestyle reflects the values she advocates. According to her, residents share responsibilities for cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. “There are no gender roles. Everyone participates in everything, and we live like a commune,” she says.

Having moved to Kottayam for her education, Ashna has carved out a space for herself here. “I wish to continue here unless the party requests that I move. I have grown very fond of the people I’ve met and the work I do,” she says. It is perhaps this connection with the region that inspired the party to field her as a candidate.