Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Kerala CPI-M jitters surface in Payyannur war of words
In a part of India called Kerala, the Communist party (CPI-M) has always been very powerful in the town of Payyannur.
But recently the party lost important local elections there.
Two former party members ran against it as rebels and won.
Now there is a big argument between the party and one of those winners, a lawmaker named V. Kunhikrishnan.
The party says it did not burn a small shed belonging to one of Kunhikrishnan's supporters.
Kunhikrishnan says the party is causing trouble and that most police cases in the area are against him and his followers.
A party leader gave a strong speech and said the party could remove the shed and everything under it, which upset many people.
These fights started after the party had a very bad result in the state assembly elections too.
People in Kerala are now watching to see what will happen next.
CPI-M Kannur district secretary K.K. Ragesh made combative remarks in Payyannur amid an escalating confrontation with independent MLA V. Kunhikrishnan.
Ragesh rejected allegations linking the CPI-M to the burning of a shrimp shed belonging to a supporter of Kunhikrishnan.
Ragesh said the party had the strength to remove the shed and everything beneath it, a remark that drew sharp criticism.
Kunhikrishnan accused the CPI-M of attempting to engineer unrest and said 22 criminal cases were registered, 21 of them related to attacks on him and his supporters.
The CPI-M lost its Payyannur and Taliparamba bastions to rebel candidates backed by the Congress-led UDF after the LDF's Assembly strength fell from 99 to 35 seats.
- Who
- CPI-M Kannur district secretary K.K. Ragesh and independent MLA V. Kunhikrishnan, along with rebel and CPI-M leaders in Kannur.
- What
- A political war of words over the burning of a shrimp shed, criminal case counts, and the CPI-M's electoral setbacks in Payyannur and Taliparamba.
- When
- Recently, after the CPI-M's losses in local body elections and the LDF's crushing defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections.
- Where
- Payyannur, in Kannur district, Kerala, India.
- Why
- Because of tensions following the CPI-M's unprecedented electoral reverses and allegations linking the party to attacks against Kunhikrishnan and his supporters.
CPI-M's stance
Kunhikrishnan and rebel supporters' stance
Shrimp shed burning
CPI-M's stance
K.K. Ragesh rejects allegations linking the CPI-M to the burning of a shrimp shed belonging to a Kunhikrishnan supporter.
Kunhikrishnan and rebel supporters' stance
Kunhikrishnan accuses the CPI-M of trying to engineer unrest in the constituency and says most registered cases target him and his supporters.
Ragesh's shed remark
CPI-M's stance
Ragesh declared the party had the strength to remove the shed and everything beneath it, framing it as a show of political resolve.
Kunhikrishnan and rebel supporters' stance
Critics say the remark was provocative, and it has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters.
Electoral reverses
CPI-M's stance
The CPI-M views the Payyannur and Taliparamba losses as continuing political aftershocks of the LDF's crushing Assembly election defeat.
Kunhikrishnan and rebel supporters' stance
Rebel candidates backed by the Congress-led UDF, including Kunhikrishnan and T.K. Govindan, defeated the party in its strongest northern Kerala bastions.
- Location
- Payyannur, Kannur district, Kerala, India
- Key figures
- K.K. Ragesh (CPI-M Kannur district secretary) and V. Kunhikrishnan (independent MLA)
- Shrimp shed incident
- CPI-M denies involvement in burning a shed belonging to a Kunhikrishnan supporter
- Criminal cases
- 22 registered; 21 against Kunhikrishnan and his supporters, 1 against CPI-M workers
- Local body elections
- CPI-M lost Payyannur and Taliparamba to rebel candidates backed by the Congress-led UDF
- Taliparamba result
- T.K. Govindan defeated the wife of CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan
- Payyannur result
- V. Kunhikrishnan defeated sitting CPI-M legislator T.I. Madhusoodhan
- Kerala Assembly election
- LDF strength fell from 99 to 35 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly