UDF eyes expelled CPI(M) leader for high-stakes election battle in Kerala's Payyannur

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9
Hectic behind-the-scenes consultations are underway between the top leadership of the Congress-led United Democratic Front and individuals close to V. Kunjikrishnan, the now-expelled and hugely popular former CPI(M) leader from Kerala's Payyannur, over the possibility of fielding him as an Independent candidate with UDF backing in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The exploratory talks, still at a delicate stage, signal the UDF’s willingness to attempt an audacious political experiment in Payyannur -- long regarded as an impregnable citadel of the CPI(M) in Kannur district.

Since the constituency’s formation, no candidate outside the CPI(M) has ever won from Payyannur, making it one of the party’s safest seats in the state.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the consistently widening victory margins of the CPI(M) here.

The party’s lead stood at over 32,000 votes in the 2011 Assembly polls, crossed 40,000 in 2016, and touched nearly 50,000 in the 2021 elections, underscoring the depth of its organisational grip.

Kunjikrishnan, who was expelled from the CPI(M) following a bitter fallout with the party leadership, has repeatedly maintained in public that he is not seeking any political accommodation.

However, political circles point to recent developments as indicative of a possible shift.

Last week, senior UDF leader and former Minister Shibhu Baby John, who heads the RSP -- an ally of the Congress party in the UDF -- called on Kunjikrishnan at a time when his confrontation with the CPI(M) was at its peak, shortly after the release of his book.

The book’s reception itself has become a talking point, with around 2,500 copies reportedly sold within an hour at the venue ahead of its launch, highlighting Kunjikrishnan’s continuing popularity in the region.

In the days following the meeting, posters critical of the CPI(M) have surfaced across Payyannur, an unusual sight in the constituency that has reportedly rattled the party.

The CPI(M) leadership, however, has closed ranks firmly behind sitting MLA T.I. Madhusoodanan, dismissing Kunjikrishnan’s allegations as driven by personal animosity and absolving the legislator of any wrongdoing.

Whether the UDF will convert its quiet courtship into an electoral gamble remains to be seen, but a possibility has injected rare uncertainty into one of Kerala’s most predictable political battlegrounds.