Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala (left) with G. Sudhakaran (folder) | Photo credit: JAYAMOHAN A
After his emphatic victory in the 2026 Kerala assembly elections, veteran communist leader G. Sudhakaran has ruled out joining the Congress or forming a wider CPI(M) rebel alliance.
Speaking to The Hind, Mr. Sudhakaran, who contested and won as an independent with the support of the UDF after ending his six-year association with the CPI(M), in Ambalappuzha constituency in Alappuzha, said he would continue as an “independent”.
“My position is quite different from others. I am not exploring any broader platform or planning to join any political party. I will remain an independent MLA. This allows me to freely raise issues and intervene in matters that benefit the society without being bound by party ideologies,” he said while expressing gratitude to the Congress for its support.
On the cabinet bed
On whether he would accept a Cabinet berth in a UDF government, Mr. Sudhakaran said the question was premature.
“This situation has not arisen. I have not thought about it and I cannot respond to a hypothetical scenario. I will consider it when it arises,” he said.
The fight against “political criminals”
Mr. Sudhakaran credited his victory in Ambalappuzha against CPI(M) incumbent H. Salam to his fight against “political criminals” in the CPI(M). “I fought against the criminalization of politics. A new breed of politicians emerged in Alappuzha and some parts of the state, whom I called political criminals. I fought against them and people liked it. People really hated them,” he said.
As for the CPI(M)’s electoral failure, he partly attributed it to anti-establishment but said there were “deeper issues” at play. According to him, the state and district leadership of the party deviated from its basic ideological path and weakened its connection with the people. He also criticized what he described as “encouragement of individual-centric politics” and declining public mentions of early leaders such as EMS Namboodiripad, AK Gopalan and P. Krishna Pillai.
“Party general secretary MA Baby says he will look into these issues deeply. But he should already know what is happening in the party. Some leaders are acting against party norms and ideology. He may not be able to intervene. He is a good communist personally, but the reality is that he cannot do much,” Sudhakaran said.
He warned that unless remedial measures were taken, the party could either “further weaken or gradually weaken”. “If the leadership wants to save the party, it must act decisively from within and remove those responsible for its decline, regardless of their position,” he said.
Mr. Sudhakaran said that the CPI(M) had “diverged from its original social purpose” and stopped pursuing causes, including the interests of workers and peasants, that it once championed. He claimed that his criticism was aimed at certain leaders and not at the party and its core ideology.
Referring to the “chettatharam” (considered a derogatory term in Malayalam) remarks made against him by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Mr. Sudhakaran said the bigger problem was the absence of a clear corrective direction in the party.
He added that the next generation of leaders risk being misled, which could further undermine the party’s future prospects.
Published – 06 May 2026 10:34 IST
