Kannur: Senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran launched a strong attack against the CPM on Monday, alleging that the party has “lost internal control” in Kannur and is allowing its workers to operate unchecked. Sudhakaran claimed that CPM activists were “running rampant” in areas such as Anthoor and Malapattam, creating an atmosphere of fear during the local body election process.
Speaking to Asianet News, Sudhakaran accused CPM workers of intimidating rivals, claiming that the party’s activists were going “door to door” to threaten opposing candidates. He alleged that CPM workers were even coercing candidates to withdraw their nomination papers in front of returning officers. According to him, some returning officers were rejecting nominations out of fear of CPM retaliation.
The Congress leader warned that if such actions continue, it could push the region toward unrest. “What kind of democracy is this? If the CPM proceeds in this manner, this land will turn into a land of riots,” he said, adding that the Congress would resist political intimidation “at any cost.”
Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan echoed similar concerns, describing the situation in Kannur as a “CPM scam.” He alleged that police officials were pressuring opposition candidates and that certain election officers were acting in tandem with CPM interests to reject UDF nominations. Satheesan stated that the UDF would challenge these decisions legally.
Satheesan also criticized celebrations by CPM members in Kannur ahead of polling day, calling it evidence of “undemocratic practices” meant to prevent opposing candidates from contesting. He questioned whether senior CPM leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state secretary M.V. Govindan, could claim to champion anti-fascist values while alleged intimidation was taking place in their own constituencies.
Further allegations surfaced across several regions in Kannur district—Malapattom, Kannapuram, and Anthoor—where UDF leaders claimed that nomination papers were rejected unjustly. In Malapattom, UDF sources alleged that officials accepted a forged signature to facilitate the withdrawal of a UDF candidate’s nomination. There were also reports from Ernakulam’s Kadamakudy division of police delaying a UDF candidate attempting to submit a corrected nomination form. In Attappady, Palakkad, the CPM local secretary was accused of threatening a rival candidate.
Controversy also emerged over the acceptance of nominations from temporary Khadi Board employees. While the Election Commission reportedly accepted four CPM nominations under similar circumstances in Kannur and Kasaragod, it rejected the nomination of a UDF candidate in Ernakulam’s Alangad block on the same grounds. The UDF leadership has pledged to challenge what they describe as inconsistent and biased decisions.
