Party Colleague Sudhakaran Takes First Shot Against Kerala CM Vijayan's 'Hegemony'

Senior CPI(M) leader G. Sudhakaran has made a veiled criticism of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, suggesting that the present style of functioning deviates from the conventional style of the CPI(M). Sudhakaran's remarks are seen as the first open admission of dissatisfaction from a CPI(M) leader, and it comes at a time when Chief Minister Vijayan has been celebrating the success of his statewide yatra.

G. Sudhakaran, a veteran party leader and two-time former state minister, had shifted his loyalties towards Vijayan during the factional feud between Vijayan and the legendary former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. Despite being a cabinet minister in the first Vijayan government (2016-21), Sudhakaran was denied a ticket in the 2021 polls, leading to speculation about his dissatisfaction with Vijayan's leadership style.

In his recent comments, Sudhakaran suggested that there is a need for change and that the present style of functioning deviates from the conventional style of the party. This criticism comes after Vijayan's over five-week-long statewide yatra, which the Chief Minister has claimed as a significant success. However, opposition parties have characterized it differently, calling it a damp squib due to protests faced by Vijayan and the perceived use of force against protesters.

At a public meeting in Alappuzha, Sudhakaran emphasized that physical attacks on opponents should not be considered a revolution, and promoting coteries within the party is not a strategy for success. He expressed concern about winning elections solely with the support of party workers and emphasized the importance of gaining support from the general public.

The criticism from Sudhakaran is significant as it marks one of the first public expressions of dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Vijayan's leadership style within the CPI(M). It remains to be seen whether other party leaders will follow suit.

(With Agency Inputs)