Following the decision to field a Kerala Congress (M) candidate in Kuttiadi, the CPM has led to an implosion within the area committee resulting in a widespread protest against the state committee decision. The Kuttiadi local area members organised a protest march attended by hundreds of party workers, similar to the one in Ponani in support of TM Sidheek. The protest march was led by CPM’s Kunnummal area committee members.
However, the protestors had clarified that this is not an “anti-party stance” since it is born out of love for the party. The protest leaders explained that while the march might incur the wrath of party disciplinary actions, it was to ensure that a candidate “bearing the party symbols” contested from the Kuttiadi seat. On the other hand, Kunhammed claims to stand with the state leadership’s decision and he rejected the rebel voices within the party. Following the massive protest, sources have claimed that Jose K Mani’s KC (M) has decided to defer their candidate selection seeing as the left leadership is gearing up for a discussion to solve the matter.
The Kuttiadi members had asked the state leadership what background KC (M) had in Kuttiadi and questioned the decision on fielding an external member in a sure-win seat in the North. The local members had challenged the decision at every level and organised a protest march after the state committee refused to listen to them. Moreover, they also wrote a letter to the central leadership hoping that they would change the state decision. The Kuttiadi members were hoping to repeat the Koyilandi incident when the party had decided to field an Indian National League candidate. The Kuttiadi members had sent a letter to the central leadership thus reversing the decision.
However, the state leadership has not changed their stance, and that has been the same for Ponani as well. The local members of the Ponani division organised a protest march on Monday in support of area committee leader and district member TM Sidheek after he was ignored for P Nandakumar to fill the spot at Ponani. Hundreds of people including women participated in the protest chanting slogans against Nandakumar, demanding Sidheek’s candidature.
During the early stages of the discussion, the local area members kept recommending Sidheek’s name to be added to the fray after Sreeramakrishnan was dropped. This was repeated in the area committee meetings and district meetings. However, the state leadership decided on Nandakumar despite the opposition. While the leadership was aware of the protest from the local leaders, the march has shaken the party to the core. Especially since it happened parallel to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s public programme at Pinarayi.
After Paloli Mohammed Kutty of CPM stepped down, the state leadership had brought Sreeramakrishnan from Perinthalmanna to contest at Ponani. This was despite Siddique’s name being the loudest in the meetings. The local area members are complaining that despite getting another chance after 10 years, the state leadership is dropping a hard-working cadre to field someone who is not from the area.
