Thiruvananthapuram, March 27 The growing rift within the ruling CPI-M in Kerala became evident once again as four-time legislator and former State Minister K.T. Jaleel took a swipe at Speaker A.N. Shamseer, reigniting tensions within the party.
The strained relationship between Jaleel and Shamseer is no secret in political circles. While Jaleel served as the State Higher Education Minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government (2016-21), Shamseer, a two-time legislator, rose to prominence when he was appointed Speaker in 2022 after his predecessor, M.B. Rajesh, was made the State Excise Minister.
Previously, when Rajesh was the Speaker and Shamseer a legislator, there were verbal duels between the two. When the roles were reversed, Shamseer did not shy away from returning the favour, making critical remarks about Rajesh.
The latest flashpoint between Jaleel and Shamseer came during the just-concluded Assembly session when Jaleel continued his speech despite repeated instructions from the Speaker to wrap up.
Visibly annoyed, Shamseer retorted, “Jaleel does not have any special privilege,” and his irritation was evident.
The sharp exchange between two legislators from the treasury benches raised eyebrows, as it is uncommon for a Speaker to openly chastise a fellow party member in such a manner.
Just when it seemed like the matter had settled, Jaleel reignited the controversy on Thursday with a pointed social media post. Reflecting on the incident, he wrote, “During my speech on the Private Universities Bill in the Assembly, I admit that I may have spoken at length. If ‘someone’ sees that as a criminal offense, I can only sympathise with them.”
He then took a veiled dig at Shamseer, saying, “I have won four times from a stronghold of the IUML (the second-largest ally of the Congress-led Opposition) in Malappuram district, which naturally makes me more energetic. But that might not be easily understood by someone who sells dates in Mecca.”
Jaleel’s remark was widely interpreted as a jibe at Shamseer.
While Jaleel carved out a niche by defeating IUML stalwart P.K. Kunhalikutty in one of the biggest electoral upsets in Kerala’s history, Shamseer represents Tellicherry, a CPI-M bastion in the Kannur district.
This open attack by Jaleel is likely to widen the rift between him and the CPI-M leadership. With the party known for enforcing strict discipline among its ranks, it remains to be seen how the CPI-M top brass responds to this.
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