G. Sudhakaran. | Photo Credit: Suresh Alleppey
Shifting loyalties is taken for granted in electoral politics. However, long-serving lawmakers who move to rival political camps and contest elections are unusual in the state’s political landscape.
Recently, however, Kerala is witnessing just this trend: former legislators are moving to other parties and ideologies that they once fought tooth and nail inside and outside the Legislative Assembly, seeking mandate under the electoral symbols of their former opponents.
As many as six former legislators have thus shifted their allegiance to rival camps and are fighting against their former comrades. While four former Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) legislators have ended their ties with the party, two from the Communist Party of India (CPI) have defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) camp.
Aisha Potty, a three-time CPI(M) MLA from Kottarakar, ended her decades-long association with the party during the third week of January this year. Ms. Potty, who headed the Kollam district panchayat from 2000 to 2005 as the party’s nominee, started drifting away from the CPI(M) about five years ago when the party decided to replace her with KN Balagopal, who later became finance minister from the Kottarakara constituency. The Congress was quick to seize the opportunity and field her from the same constituency.
However, the decision left the Congress reeling as R. Resmi, general secretary of the Mahila Congress, who unsuccessfully contested Mr. Balagopal in the last election, joined the BJP after realizing that the Congress would favor Ms. Potty over her in the 2026 polls. This time, Ms. Resmi will take on Mr. Balagopal and Ms. Potty from the constituency as the BJP candidate.
S. Rajendran, CPI(M) representative from Devikulam Assembly constituency in 2006, 2011 and 2016 elections, joined the BJP in the second week of January. Mr. Rajendran, who has been at loggerheads with the party for some time, abandoned the Marxist ideology and embraced the “nationalist” politics of the BJP. The BJP dutifully fielded him from the constituency.
(clockwise from top left) G. Sudhakaran, S. Rajendran, Aisha Potty, K. Ajith, PK Sasi and CC Mukundan
Anger in Ambalappuzha
Another follower who left the Left camp was former public works minister G. Sudhakaran, who was forced to retire from active politics after the party set a retirement age of 75 for its leaders. Mr. Sudhakaran, a four-year legislator, openly expressed his displeasure when he was dropped from the State Committee citing the age criterion at the party’s 2022 state conference held in Ernakulam.
The Congress has reportedly decided not to field a candidate in the Ambalappuzha constituency where Mr. Sudhakaran is slated to contest as an independent in the 2026 polls. However, the BJP has fielded a candidate from the constituency.
Then an enemy, now a friend
Former CPI(M) legislator PK Sasi, against whom the Congress has leveled serious allegations of sexual misconduct, may find a new ally in the party itself after he decided to sever ties with the CPI(M) and contest as an independent candidate from Ottappalam. The decision of the United Democratic Front (UDF), of which the Congress is a part, will be known soon.
Two of the former CPI legislators, K. Ajith, who represented Vaikom for ten years from 2006, and CC Mukunadan, the first MLA from Nattika, have decided to renounce their communist heritage and find solace in the saffron camp. Both Mr. Ajith and Mr. Mukundan were proposed as BJP candidates from the constituencies.
It remains to be seen whether the former lawmakers can convince voters of their newfound affinity with their former foes and repeat their electoral performance.
Published – 20 Mar 2026 03:57 IST
