Thiruvananthapuram, February 19 – As the Kerala Assembly elections approach, the CPI(M)'s social media team, responsible for leading the party's digital campaign, has experienced a major internal rift, revealing unease within the party regarding strategy and leadership.
Senior journalists K.V. Sudhakaran, K. Mohandas, and E.S. Subhash, all former journalists of Deshabhimani, the party's official publication, have resigned from the CPI(M)'s social media team. Their departure is reportedly in protest against what they describe as unilateral decisions by M.V. Nikesh Kumar, who heads the cyber division at the AKG Centre, the state party headquarters.
Sources indicate that dissatisfaction has been simmering for some time over the prominence given to Nikesh within the party and his working style. This development comes at a politically sensitive time, amid reports that Nikesh could be fielded from a safe constituency in Kannur.
In recent days, he has also faced targeted cyber attacks, with propaganda suggesting that the son of M.V. Raghavan would "defeat" the ruling CPI(M). This internal rift has further compounded the unease.
CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan had personally facilitated Nikesh's appointment to head the social media wing, a move that initially signaled a strategic revamp of the party's digital outreach.
A team of over 30 members, including content writers and editors, was assembled to produce television-style discussions and targeted digital messaging aimed at countering political opponents.
However, criticism has mounted within the party that the cyber wing has failed to achieve the desired political traction. Publicity efforts during recent regional marches are widely perceived to have fallen short, and several digital campaigns have reportedly been unsuccessful, sometimes leading to adverse public sentiment.
Even staunch party supporters have publicly raised concerns about the online strategy, arguing that the cyber unit has not effectively communicated the government's development and welfare initiatives.
The resignations have put the leadership on the defensive, highlighting the challenges the CPI(M) faces in strengthening its digital presence as the electoral contest intensifies.
Nikesh is the son of veteran former CPI(M) leader Raghavan, who, after disagreements with the party, was expelled. He then formed his own party and became an ally of the Congress-led UDF, also serving as a minister.
Following his father's death, Nikesh, at the peak of his journalistic career, was given a seat by the CPI(M) in the 2016 assembly elections but lost. He subsequently returned to journalism before re-entering full-time politics last year, when he was appointed to head the party's digital team.
