Veteran Marxist leader and founder of Janathipathya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) KR Gowri Amma has been asked to resign from the party leadership by rebel workers led by JSS state secretary B Gopan.

In a letter sent to the nonagenarian chief, Gopan has reportedly asked Gowri Amma to opt for voluntary retirement given her advanced age. He claims to have the backing of a majority of the party cadres in this regard. 

He accuses the ageing leader of nepotism and maintains that the nonagenarian should now give way to leaders of the younger generation. 

Gowri Amma however is said to have dismissed this dissent of voice, by rubbishing the contents of the letter. Reports say Gopan has the silent backing of the CPI(M) in the matter. 

Gowri Amma who served as a minister in the EMS Namboothiripad government, founded JSS in 1994 after she was expelled from CPI(M). The JSS later aligned with the UDF. In the 2016  Kerala Assembly elections held in May, they opted to be with the LDF, but were not alloted a single seat to contest.