Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Kerala politics witnessed a fresh controversy on Friday, January 23, after V Kunhikrishnan, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] from Kannur, made serious allegations of large-scale financial misappropriation within the party.
In an interview with Malayalam news channel Asianet News, Kunhikrishnan accused Payyannur MLA TI Madhusoodanan, former MLA C Krishnan, and Mandalam secretary CS Sathyapalan of misappropriating more than Rs 1 crore, including money from the party’s martyrs’ fund.
According to Kunhikrishnan, the alleged misappropriation took place through three major channels — the Dhanraj Martyrs’ Fund, the party’s election fund, and the fund collected for the construction of the party office. He claimed that money was diverted through financial irregularities and misuse of accounts. He also said that he had submitted complaints, along with documentary evidence such as bank statements, to the party’s state leadership, but no action was taken.
Elaborating on the first case, Kunhikrishnan said funds were collected to support the family of Dhanraj. “Rs 34 lakh was issued as a cheque for constructing a house. On verification, Rs 29.25 lakh was transferred to the contractor’s account, while Rs 5 lakh went to the area secretary’s account. An additional Rs 2 lakh was shown without any details on how it was spent,” he alleged.
He further claimed that Rs 70 lakh collected from cooperative employees for the construction of the party office was unaccounted for. “That money has not been recorded anywhere,” he said.
The third instance, he alleged, involved the collection of money using fake receipts during the 2021 Assembly elections.
Kunhikrishnan said the party had constituted an internal commission with TV Rajesh and PV Gopinath as members after he filed the complaint. “The commission concluded that the party had not suffered any financial loss and that no individual had misappropriated funds. However, I cannot agree with that finding,” he said. He added that the details have also been documented in his book ‘Nethakkale Thiruthan Anikal’, which roughly translates to ‘Cadres to Correct the Leaders’.
Senior CPI(M) leader and former Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan strongly rejected Kunhikrishnan’s allegations, describing them as “totally baseless.” He said two internal party commissions had examined the matter in detail and found no evidence of embezzlement. “There were lapses in presenting accounts before the committee, and corrective action was taken. But there was no misappropriation of funds,” Jayarajan said.
CPI(M) Kannur district secretary KK Ragesh also dismissed the allegations, stating that Kunhikrishnan had failed to produce evidence. “He has accepted the findings of the commission and its report. As a Marxist-Leninist party, we will not tolerate indiscipline,” Ragesh said.
The revelations have triggered a sharp political response. Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said the Congress would take up the issue of alleged fund misappropriation. Calling the allegations extremely serious, Satheesan remarked that since the CPI(M) appears to have its own internal ‘court’, such matters are unlikely to reach the police.
(With IANS inputs)