CPI(M) in damage control mode as G Sudhakaran decides not to renew party membership

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) launched an urgent damage-control exercise after veteran leader and former minister G Sudhakaran announced he would not renew his party membership, triggering alarm within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.

Sudhakaran (75), who is also a CPI(M) state committee member, made the announcement in a Facebook post on March 4, citing years of deliberate isolation, public humiliation by senior party functionaries, and denial of basic organisational dignity. Sudhakaran has been openly critical of the party in recent years but commands mass support in Alappuzha. 

Sudhakaran noted in his Facebook post that after stepping down from the State Committee in 2022, he had been functioning as a member of a branch committee under the Alappuzha District Committee. However, he expressed disappointment that, despite his 43 years of State Committee membership, the district secretary “did not enquire even once” about how he was faring at the grassroots level. 

He further pointed out the systematic sidelining he faced, stating that despite his 63-year history of party membership, the district secretary had not assigned him a single public programme in the last five years.

In his post, Sudhakaran alleged that the party state secretary had publicly said he "did not deserve any consideration" and laughed dismissively in front of journalists. 

"In this situation, I do not want to cause trouble for the party leaders. Hence, during this membership scrutiny period, I have voluntarily decided not to renew it," he wrote while asserting continued ideological commitment.

Among the grievances detailed was his exclusion from the 50th-anniversary memorial event remembering the Emergency, held near his residence. Despite enduring imprisonment and torture during that period, he had been excluded from the event, Sudhakaran said. He also alleged that a local committee member, backed by district leadership, had publicly lampooned his father on social media.

State Secretary MV Govindan personally telephoned Sudhakaran to clarify that his laughter during a media interaction was not directed at the veteran. Central Committee member CS Sujata was dispatched to Sudhakaran's residence for talks. 

On Friday, Sudhakaran's name was added to the guest list for the inauguration of the Perumbalam Bridge — a project he had long championed — alongside Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, after being omitted from the initial official notice issued days earlier.

The Opposition moved quickly to capitalise on the development.

Congress leader KC Venugopal described Sudhakaran as "a mature leader whom no one needs to teach how to make decisions" and acknowledged the pain expressed in his post as reflective of a wider disillusionment among party members.

"Whether or not to renew his membership is his personal decision," Venugopal said, stopping short of making a direct overture. The BJP's National Executive Committee member PK Krishnadas has already extended an invitation to the disgruntled CPI(M) veteran to join the party.