CPM rift deepens in north Kerala as Trikaripur unit demands disbanding of Kannur district committee

Kasaragod: Dissent within the CPM over its Assembly election debacle sharpened further in north Kerala, with members of the party’s Trikaripur Area Committee reportedly demanding that the Kannur district committee be disbanded “to save the party”.

The unusually sharp criticism emerged during the Area Committee meeting attended by P Jayarajan, as the party continues internal discussions across Kerala to assess the reasons behind its electoral rout and fix accountability.

Several members reportedly blamed organisational failures and factionalism in Kannur, particularly in Payyannur, for the CPM’s defeat not only there, but also in neighbouring Trikaripur constituency. Similar concerns, insiders said, had also surfaced during discussions in the Kasaragod district committee.

The Kannur district leadership and the state leadership both came under attack during the meeting, with members alleging that grassroots workers had become alienated and that key decisions were increasingly being driven by a small circle of leaders.

CPM Kannur District Secretary K K Ragesh faced particularly sharp criticism. Insiders said members described him as an “Amul Baby" and "bag bearer" of some leaders, a snide remark implying privilege, inexperience, and unquestioning loyalty to the leadership.

Some members also reportedly threatened to boycott programmes attended by CPM state secretary M V Govindan.

At the same time, members called for K K Shailaja and P Jayarajan to return to the forefront of the party organisation, arguing that leaders with stronger grassroots connections and organisational credibility were needed to rebuild the CPM after the defeat. Within sections of the party, there is a growing perception that both leaders had been sidelined under the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan.

The outburst was unusual for the CPM’s tightly controlled organisational culture in North Malabar. But so were the party’s first-ever defeats in Trikaripur and Payyannur, where CPM candidates V P P Musthafa and T I Madhusoodanan were decisively routed.

The criticism also appeared to signal that mid-level leaders are unconvinced by K K Ragesh’s recent claim that the LDF’s defeat was caused by a “frenzied surge of minority communalism”. Pinarayi Vijayan broadly endorsed that line, though he also publicly maintained that the electorate had simply voted for a change after a decade in power.

So far, among the top leadership, only CPM state secretary M V Govindan has publicly acknowledged personal shortcomings, admitting that his body language may have contributed to the backlash. According to reports, he made the remark during the Thiruvananthapuram District Committee meeting, which had also reportedly demanded action against the faction-ridden Kannur district committee.