Malappuram: Former Kerala minister and four-time MLA K T Jaleel has formally announced his decision to join the CPM, ending nearly two decades as a Left-backed fellow traveller and becoming an official party member.

In a detailed Facebook post, Jaleel described his entry into the CPM as both a political and ideological decision, asserting that strengthening the Communist movement was essential at a time when communal and fascist forces were gaining ground across India.

Jaleel said the CPM had been a major source of support throughout his public life. Recalling his long association with the party since 2006, he said the bond had never weakened over the years. He noted that despite being only a fellow traveller, he had been entrusted with significant responsibilities, including serving as a member of two state-wide political marches led by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and another led by CPM state secretary M V Govindan.

Expressing gratitude to the party, Jaleel said he was indebted to the CPM for making him an MLA four consecutive times and a minister for five years without him having to seek recommendations or patronage from any individual leader.

The former minister's decision comes weeks after he suffered his first electoral defeat. Jaleel, who contested from Thavanur as an LDF-backed independent candidate, lost in the recently held assembly election, triggering criticism from political opponents and social media campaigns, particularly from supporters of the Indian Union Muslim League, his former party.

In his Facebook post, Jaleel argued that the CPM and other Communist parties remain the most effective political forces resisting communalism and right-wing politics in India. He warned that weakening the Left would ultimately hurt vulnerable social groups, including minorities and economically disadvantaged communities.

He cited the political developments in West Bengal as an example, arguing that the decline of Communist parties had created space for rival political forces and eventually strengthened the Bharatiya Janata Party. According to him, Kerala must avoid a similar situation by ensuring that the Communist movement remains strong and vibrant.

Jaleel criticised attempts by communal groups within different religious communities to discourage believers from joining the CPM by claiming that party membership was incompatible with religious faith.

Rejecting such arguments, he said it was possible for a person to be both a committed believer and a committed Communist. He argued that communal and sectarian forces across religions shared a common objective of weakening Communist parties, and described his decision to take party membership as an act of resistance against such efforts.

Jaleel further stated that he and his wife viewed their party entry as a rejection of those who exploit religion and religious symbols for personal enrichment, political power and the spread of hatred, adding that joining the CPM during a period when the party faced political challenges was a moral responsibility. 

Jaleel began his political career in the Muslim Youth League and emerged as a prominent leader of the IUML before breaking away in 2006. Backed by the Left Democratic Front, he defeated senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty in Kuttippuram and went on to become one of the most prominent Muslim faces in the Left camp. His formal induction into the CPM marks a significant milestone in Kerala's contemporary political landscape.