Frustrated by repeated denial of opportunities, Aani Asokan announced her decision to contest independently from the Chempazhanthy ward.
Published Nov 12, 2025 | 4:43 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 12, 2025 | 4:43 PM
Candidate selection process in the Kazhakkoottam area was manipulated to indirectly strengthen the BJP's chances in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Aani Ashokan alleged.
Synopsis: The CPI(M) in Kerala is facing rebel trouble after a block panchayat leader accused the party of arriving at a tacit understanding with the BJP, which would help the latter in the local self-government bodies polls — in return for helping the Left party’s strongman in Thiruvananthapuram sail through the Assembly election next year. The BJP refuted the charge, but the Congress stood firm, saying the red is fading to become saffron.
With less than a month left for the elections to the local self-government bodies in Kerala, the CPI(M) is facing a rebel in one of the wards in the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation.
More appalling to the CPI(M) would be the leader’s allegation that the party has entered into a tacit understanding with the BJP in select corporation wards.
The allegation by former Kazhakkoottam Block Panchayat Aani Ashokan came even as the party has launched its campaign for the imminent two-phased polls to the local self-government bodies.
Ashokan specially targeted Kadakampally Surendran, a senior leader and a former minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet. She said the CPI(M)’s deal with the BJP was to benefit Surendran in the upcoming elections to the Kerala Assembly in 2026.
Interestingly, the BJP was quick to refute Ashokan’s charge, even as the seized the opportunity to make it a campaign issue.
Speaking to South First from Chempazhanthy, Ashokan said the CPI(M) fielded weak candidates in several wards falling under the Kazhakkoottam Assembly constituency to help the BJP. The strategy, she said, was a covert move to ensure Surendran’s re-election.
Ashokan claimed that the candidate selection process in the Kazhakkoottam area was manipulated to strengthen the BJP’s chances in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. She alleged that Surendran had been taking unilateral decisions, sidelining senior party members and local cadres.
”The candidature selection happened here in favour of the BJP, just to ensure a second term for the CPI(M) MLA in Kazhakkoottam. He makes all decisions alone without consulting others,” she told South First.
She cited specific wards — Chempazhanthy, Powdikonam, and Chellamangalam — where, according to her, the CPI(M) deliberately nominated candidates with little public appeal. ”In these wards, CPI(M) supporters opposed such selections. As a result, BJP candidates won in areas that were once considered CPI(M) bastions,” she said.
Ashokan further claimed that several unpopular candidates who had lost the polls earlier were being fielded again this time, despite grassroots-level resistance. Frustrated by repeated denial of opportunities, Asokan announced her decision to contest independently from the Chempazhanthy ward.
”I served as Kazhakkoottam Block Panchayat President from 2005 to 2010, so I have experience and a record of governance. But the MLA never allowed me to function peacefully. I have raised multiple complaints — even to the state secretary — but no action has been taken so far,” she said.
Ashokan claimed that the internal rift with the party was not just about personal grievances but regarding the larger issue of political compromise.
”In the Kazhakkoottam Assembly constituency, there is a clear understanding between the CPI(M) and BJP,” she alleged.
Champazhanthy Udayan, the BJP councillor from the ward, was quick to refute Ashokan’s charges.
Dismissing any suggestion of a political deal, he said the BJP’s success in these wards was purely due to the growing public support and not any backdoor arrangement.
”The BJP will win again in these wards. We don’t need any deal with the CPI(M), and we don’t want that either. People made their choice — they voted for us because they were fed up with the CPI(M),” he told South First.
He claimed Ashokan’s claims stemmed from personal frustration after she was denied a party ticket.
”Chempazhanthy, Powdikonam, and Chellamangalam were once CPI(M) strongholds, but now the BJP has a strong presence there. Our vote share has gone up in both the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections. Even if we didn’t win seats everywhere, we’ve grown significantly in influence,” he claimed.
Udayan asserted that it was the Congress, not the CPI(M), that was losing ground in Thiruvananthapuram.
”The Congress is actually the one losing ground here. Aani is only making these allegations because she didn’t get a seat,” he added.
The Congress, meanwhile, joined the controversy, saying that Ashokan’s revelations confirmed what it has been alleging for a long time: a secret political pact between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
Padmakumar, a Congress councillor in Thiruvananthapuram, said the allegation was particularly serious because it came from the CPI(M)’s own ranks.
”This is not a mere accusation from another party. It is a CPI(M) leader herself who has exposed the deal. We have been aware of such tacit arrangements across Thiruvananthapuram for quite some time,” Padmakumar said.
He also connected the alleged political cooperation to the slow progress in major corruption and criminal investigations involving CPI(M) leaders.
”Why do cases such as the gold smuggling (through diplomatic channel) case and issues surrounding Veena Vijayan remain stagnant? It is because there’s an understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP at the top. Aani’s statement only validates our claim,” he argued.
”We will definitely raise this in our campaigns. It’s now evident that CPI(M) and BJP share more than just political space — they share mutual convenience,” he said.
Padmakumar said the Congress would make the issue part of its local election campaign, calling it a ”symbol of the moral decay in the ruling Left party”.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
