In a dramatic escalation of his feud with the CPI(M) leadership, veteran leader and former Kerala minister G. Sudhakaran has dropped a bombshell. The 75-year-old announced he will not renew his membership during the ongoing scrutiny process, a move widely interpreted as his prelude to quitting the party after decades of service.
Sudhakaran unleashed his frustration in a scathing Facebook post, accusing the party of sidelining and humiliating him since his demotion from the state committee to a mere branch committee member under the Alappuzha district in 2022. Despite 63 years of loyalty—including 43 in the state committee—no district secretary ever checked on him, he claimed, and he was kept away from public programs for five years.
Taking direct aim at district secretary M.V. Govindan, Sudhakaran slammed recent remarks dismissing him as ‘not worth considering ideologically.’ He rubbished these claims during media interactions, laughing them off as absurd.
A four-time MLA and two-time minister, including in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government (2016-21), Sudhakaran has been vocal about his grievances since being denied a ticket in the 2021 assembly polls. Known for his blunt style, he commands respect beyond party lines, even from Congress-led opposition.
He highlighted further slights, like being excluded from the 50th anniversary event of the Emergency, despite being the only district leader arrested, jailed, and attacked during that period.
As anticipation builds ahead of his Friday press conference, political circles buzz with speculation. His firm stance suggests an imminent formal split from CPI(M). Adding intrigue, Congress general secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal recently met him, hinting at a potential UDF ticket from his home turf Ambalappuzha—a shift that could upend local dynamics.
Should Sudhakaran leave, he’d be the third ex-MLA to exit recently, following S. Rajendran (who joined BJP) and Aysha Potty (who went to Congress). This wave of departures underscores deepening rifts within Kerala’s ruling Left.