Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 The Kerala unit of the CPI-M on Monday faced an unexpected embarrassment after senior party leader and former Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran took pot shots on the Pinarayi Vijayan government, linking its “number one” claims to the ongoing Sabarimala gold plating controversy.
“Of late, we often hear that Kerala is number one in everything. Now we hear that the gold plates from Sabarimala temple have gone missing — so we are number one in that too,” quipped Sudhakaran, drawing loud applause from the audience.
What appears to have irked the CPI-M leadership most is that Sudhakaran made these remarks at a cultural event organised by the Congress party’s cultural wing in Alappuzha.
His sharp criticism, coming from a long-time party stalwart, is being viewed within the CPI-M as a serious breach of discipline at a politically sensitive moment.
Sudhakaran, 75, served as Minister in both the V.S. Achuthanandan (2006–11) and the first Pinarayi Vijayan (2016–21) Cabinets, and is widely regarded as a leader with a clean image and a no-nonsense approach.
However, his political fortunes took a downturn when the party denied him a ticket in the 2021 Assembly polls, despite his long track record and administrative experience.
Though sidelined, Sudhakaran has occasionally criticised the functioning of the second Vijayan government, but Monday’s remarks are by far his most direct.
Once a staunch Achuthanandan loyalist, Sudhakaran had later aligned with Vijayan after he consolidated control over the party.
His recent outburst, however, signals a possible return to dissenting ways.
The timing of his comments also proved uncomfortable for the CPI-M, coming on the same day the Kerala High Court ordered a high-level probe, led by ADGP H. Venkatesh, into the missing Sabarimala gold plating and directed that a report be submitted within a month.
Sudhakaran, who has twice faced disciplinary action in the past — including public censure and demotion — now finds himself once again in the party’s crosshairs.
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