In a significant development for the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), senior leader and former minister G. Sudhakaran on Thursday announced that he would contest the upcoming Assembly elections as an Independent candidate.
Sudhakaran, a prominent CPI(M) figure from Alappuzha district and a four-time MLA, said he plans to enter the fray from the Ambalappuzha constituency, which he represented from 2006 to 2016 before the party denied him a ticket.
The constituency has traditionally been a CPI(M) bastion and has earlier elected veteran Left leaders such as V. S. Achuthanandan and Susheela Gopalan.
Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, Sudhakaran said he had decided to leave the CPI(M) but remained committed to Communist ideology. He stated that he would contest the election as an Independent and clarified that he had no plans to join another political party or seek external support.
He also said he would continue to identify himself as a Communist and warned that he would strongly respond if he faced personal attacks, Indian Express reported.
Sudhakaran said his campaign would focus on what he described as the growing criminalisation of politics, adding that the issue would be a key theme during the election campaign.
The announcement comes days after Sudhakaran indicated in a Facebook post that he would not renew his membership in the CPI(M). Party leaders reportedly attempted to persuade him to reconsider, but their efforts did not change his decision.
Sudhakaran joined the CPI(M) in 1967 and went on to become the first state president and a founding member of the Students' Federation of India, the party’s student wing. In 1977, his brother Bhuvaneswaran was killed during campus clashes at NSS College, Pandalam amid violent confrontations between Left student groups and the Kerala Students Union, which is affiliated with the Indian National Congress.
Sudhakaran served as a minister in the government led by Pinarayi Vijayan from 2016 to 2021 and earlier in the cabinet headed by V. S. Achuthanandan between 2006 and 2011. Over the years, he developed a reputation as a vocal leader who often spoke out against corruption.
Political observers believe that if Sudhakaran begins criticising his former party more aggressively during the campaign, it could create discomfort for the CPI(M) and intensify political debate in the state ahead of the elections.
However, Kerala minister Saji Cherian said Sudhakaran should explain his reasons for quitting the party. He also remarked that while Sudhakaran was free to contest again, his departure would not have any significant impact on the CPI(M).
Analysts say the political consequences of Sudhakaran’s decision will depend on how strongly he targets the party during campaigning and whether his claims about the criminalisation of politics resonate with CPI(M) supporters.
Meanwhile, party insiders are expected to portray him as a dissatisfied leader pursuing electoral ambitions despite having been given major opportunities, including two ministerial terms. For Sudhakaran, the key challenge will be convincing voters that his decision to break away is not simply the result of being denied a ticket or feeling sidelined by the leadership.