Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 27, 2026
Kerala is witnessing a surge in political tension as a series of high-profile incidents involving the ruling CPI-M has drawn widespread attention to alleged violations of norms and intimidation tactics.
The flashpoint remains the expulsion of senior CPI-M leader V. Kunjikrishnan, which has triggered street protests, threats to supporters, and heated scrutiny of party practices.
On Monday, while the Kannur district committee was convening to finalise Kunjikrishnan’s expulsion, a group of CPI-M workers marched to his residence in Payyannur, bursting firecrackers and raising slogans.
Only Kunjikrishnan’s grandchildren were at home at the time.
The demonstration drew immediate comparisons to the high-profile Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid in 2020 on the Thiruvananthapuram residence of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of veteran CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, during which relatives staged a sit-in alleging that his wife and minor child were being unlawfully detained and denied basic necessities.
State Child Rights Commission chairman Manoj Kumar rushed to the Kodiyeri house, but ED officials barred entry, illustrating how personal and political interventions often intersect during crises.
The unrest in Payyannur escalated further on Monday night when the motorcycle of Prasannan, a party worker who had publicly supported Kunjikrishnan, was allegedly dragged into a nearby paddy field in the dead of night and set on fire.
Residents expressed fear that these acts mirrored an “Onchiyam-model” vendetta, signalling an aggressive approach to silencing dissent within the party.
Cyber attacks and pressure tactics on social media accompanied these acts, compounding the climate of intimidation.
Adding another layer of controversy, V.K. Nishad, a CPI-M and DYFI leader convicted for a 2012 bomb attack on a police vehicle and serving a rigorous imprisonment sentence, was seen participating in a protest march against Kunjikrishnan while on parole.
Nishad had recently won the 2025 local body elections from Ward 46 of Payyannur Municipality despite being in jail.
Participation in political demonstrations is explicitly prohibited under parole conditions.
Sources confirmed he has returned to jail, but the incident has intensified scrutiny over the enforcement of parole rules in politically sensitive cases.
The CPI-M has responded by convening an explanatory meeting on Tuesday night in Payyannur, with senior state and district leaders attempting to convince cadres of the investigation commission’s findings and rebut Kunjikrishnan’s allegations of fund misappropriation.
The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday was also rocked over the Kunjikrishnan episode, with the Opposition walking out after the Speaker refused leave for an adjournment motion on the same issue.(Agency)
FOLLOW NOW
