In a major setback for the CPI(M), veteran leader G Sudhakaran announced on Thursday that he was severing all ties with the party and would be contesting the upcoming Assembly elections as an independent candidate from his home constituency, Ambalappuzha.
The former state minister, known for his clean image and administrative skills, had recently stated that he would not renew his party membership, citing personal attacks from some CPI(M) members on social media.
Speaking to reporters, the 79-year-old leader said he would contest the election as an independent candidate in the constituency, which is considered a stronghold of the CPI(M).
Sudhakaran, who had a career spanning over six decades as a CPI(M) worker and leader, and whose brother was a martyr in the party's student wing, SFI, said he had faced personal attacks from party members and was unable to continue his work.
Sudhakaran also accused the CPI(M)'s Alappuzha district leadership of negligence in both organizational and government programs.
"I have not renewed my membership and I am no longer a party member. Based on my experiences, I have decided to contest in this constituency as an independent," said Sudhakaran, who has strong connections with people across the Alappuzha district.
Sudhakaran said that even if he contests as an independent, he would not speak negatively about the Communist Party or engage in character assassination.
"I have not sought any support from the UDF. I have not spoken to anyone," he said.
He stated that he had not sought support from any other party.
"It is not possible to say now. It will depend on the nature of the support. I don't know whether the UDF will contest from the Ambalapuzha constituency," he said.
Regarding contesting against the CPI(M), he said that his fight was not against the party.
"If the party gives the seat to someone, let that person win," he said.
Sudhakaran said he had not betrayed the party as he was no longer a party member.
"Now they don't have any problems because of me," he said.
"When I leave the party, I leave organizational work. But I am still committed to the party's ideology and policies," he said.
When asked about his earlier comments regarding the possibility of other leaders contesting elections, referring to V S Achuthanandan, he said he had not seen the video of those remarks.
"It could be a fake video. There is AI now," he said.
He also said he would not organize wall paintings or conventions as part of his election campaign. "I have not sought anyone's support," he said.
Sudhakaran said he would speak about political issues during the campaign but would not speak against the government and did not know whether there was anti-incumbency.
He said that combating corruption would be his primary focus.
When asked whether he believed that a leader like Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, if alive, could have resolved his issues within the party, Sudhakaran said he did not believe Balakrishnan would have been a solution to all issues.
He said that the party state committee might have been aware of the issues and added that he had not approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking any intervention.
He also mentioned that more than 1,400 CPI(M) workers were killed in West Bengal in the past, but the Congress and CPI(M) are now allies.
Sudhakaran represented the Kayamkulam constituency from 1996 to 2001 and later served as the legislator from the Ambalappuzha constituency from 2006 to 2021.
He said he joined the party 63 years ago at the age of 15 when he was in school and became active in party activities while studying at SN College, Kollam, in 1967.
"I did not join the party after being forced by anyone," he said.
He also remembered the murder of his brother G Bhuvaneswaran in 1977 after he was attacked by a group at a college in Pandalam.
He said he was proud that Bhuvaneswaran is a martyr for the party.
When asked whether he believed that Congress workers had murdered his brother Bhuvaneswaran at NSS College, Pandalam, Sudhakaran claimed that some "goonda elements" and a few youths from prominent Nair Service Society (NSS) families were involved.
"One of them is now a community leader. They are not with any political party now," he said.
Sudhakaran said he would not personally abuse anyone though he had been personally attacked by some party cadres.
He accused a section of CPI(M) leaders of encouraging "political criminals" to carry out personal attacks against him and his late father.
Sudhakaran said he had always lived a simple life and remained fully committed to Communist ideology.
He added that he would continue to fight corruption in social life or in the Assembly if he wins again.
During the press conference, Sudhakaran also said that when he was denied an opportunity to contest the election citing that he had already been given several chances, he had pointed out that similar opportunities had been given to leaders like Thomas Isaac and Elamaram Karim.