Kannur’s political air thickened on Monday as UDF leader V.D. Satheesan unleashed a barrage against CM Pinarayi Vijayan, claiming not just ordinary citizens but ‘genuine communists’ are deserting the Left government. During a media interaction in Thalassery amid the Puthuyuga Yatra, he cited poet Sachidanandan’s critique as evidence of widespread sentiment.
Satheesan argued that long-time Left backers have awakened to CPI(M)’s ethical bankruptcy in governance. The party, he alleged, has ditched its ideological roots for rightist maneuvers, including BJP-style religious divisiveness that leaves minorities feeling more vulnerable than ever.
‘Election-time minority pandering gives way to post-poll majority wooing, squandering trust from both sides,’ Satheesan observed, describing a state mired in disillusionment that lifelong supporters now fully grasp.
The Sabarimala gold heist took center stage, with Satheesan revealing three CPI(M) leaders jailed over the 2019 theft of devotees’ gold during Vijayan’s tenure. Two ex-Devaswom Board heads appointed by the government are also locked up, and he cautioned more arrests loom if investigations proceed unhindered—despite alleged pressure on the SIT to protect insiders.
Addressing the Adoor Prakash photo row, Satheesan backed the probe but called for Vijayan’s questioning on similar grounds. Yatra interactions exposed deeper failures: agrarian distress, beastly wildlife threats, mill closures, wage delays, and stalled infrastructure land deals.
Satheesan vowed UDF’s roadmap to recovery, featuring sector-specific solutions like the upcoming Kozhikode health blueprint. This bold opposition offensive underscores eroding Left bastions in Kerala, hinting at electoral tremors ahead.