CPI-M expels former legislator P.K. Sasi after dissidents' meet in Palakkad

Thiruvananthapuram, March 5
Kerala's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist on Thursday expelled former legislator P. K. Sasi from the party, marking the exit of another leader who once enjoyed a strong support base in Palakkad district.

Sasi, a former MLA from the Palakkad region, had been at odds with the party leadership since he was denied a second term in the 2021 Assembly elections.

The decision to drop him from the electoral fray had triggered discontent within his camp, and relations between him and the state leadership had remained strained since then.

Although the party later accommodated him by appointing him chairman of the state-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), Sasi resigned from the post last month, fuelling speculation that a complete break with the party was imminent.

The expulsion came shortly after Sasi participated in a convention of disgruntled CPI-M activists in his hometown in Palakkad district that took place on Thursday.

The meeting, attended by a large number of party dissidents, saw Sasi sharply criticising the district leadership.

Within an hour of the convention, the state leadership, which was holding its State Committee meeting, announced his expulsion from the party’s primary membership.

Party sources said the leadership viewed his participation in the dissidents’ gathering and the criticism levelled against the organisation as a serious breach of party discipline.

Sasi had earlier described the gathering as a meeting of "self-respecting revolutionaries" and said it was held under compelling circumstances.

He also launched a scathing attack on the district leadership during the convention.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan reacted cautiously to the development, noting that the CPI-M itself had earlier given Sasi a clean chit in connection with allegations of moral turpitude that surfaced a few years ago.

Satheesan said that while the Congress had taken note of the developments, the party had not yet taken any decision.

The episode adds to the political churn in Palakkad district, where internal dissent within the CPI-M has occasionally surfaced despite the party’s otherwise strong organisational structure.

Palakkad, which has 12 assembly constituencies, has been a strong bastion of the CPI-M, and at the 2021 polls, it won 10 seats. However, in the December local body polls, it suffered a reversal, and with the group of dissenters growing, it remains to be seen how things will be in the upcoming Assembly polls.