In a scathing attack on Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front, opposition leader V.D. Satheesan declared on Monday that even lifelong communist loyalists are abandoning Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration. Speaking to reporters in Thalassery, Satheesan highlighted poet Sachidanandan’s recent remarks as a mirror to the public’s growing disillusionment.
Leading the Congress-led UDF’s Puthuyuga Yatra, Satheesan asserted that dedicated Left supporters now recognize CPI(M)’s lack of moral authority to cling to power. ‘The party and government have veered completely off the leftist path, embracing right-wing tactics instead,’ he charged, accusing CPI(M) of mimicking BJP’s strategies to stoke religious polarization in the state.
Satheesan pointed to the insecurity gripping minority communities, claiming CPI(M) courts them during parliamentary polls only to pivot to majority appeasement afterward. This flip-flopping, he said, has eroded trust across all sections, leaving the state in a fog of confusion that even decades-long allies can no longer ignore.
Turning to the Sabarimala gold theft scandal, Satheesan noted three CPI(M) leaders already behind bars for allegedly pilfering Lord Ayyappa’s offerings. He warned that deeper probes could drag more party figures into jail, slamming the government for pressuring the special investigation team to shield culprits. The theft occurred in 2019 under Vijayan’s watch, with two government-appointed Devaswom Board chairmen among the accused now incarcerated.
On the controversy over Congress MP Adoor Prakash’s interrogation alongside Unnikrishnan Potti, Satheesan expressed no objection but demanded similar scrutiny for Vijayan over comparable photos. He lambasted the government during the yatra for failing on agriculture woes, rising wild animal attacks, shuttering spinning mills, delayed wages for laborers, and unresolved land acquisition issues for KINFRA, highways, and airport projects.
Promising a comprehensive policy document, Satheesan outlined UDF’s alternatives, including a health vision document from Kozhikode addressing the government’s shortcomings. As Kerala grapples with these crises, Satheesan’s words signal a potential shift in the state’s polarized political landscape.