Senior CPI(M) Leaders Rebel in Kannur Over Candidate Selections Ahead of 2026 Polls

Senior CPI(M) leader T.K. Govindan resigned after nearly six decades, protesting the party's decision to field P.K. Shyamala, wife of state secretary M.V. Govindan, as the candidate in Taliparamba, Kerala. Govindan alleged nepotism and violation of party norms, planning to contest as an independent. The CPI(M) expelled him for anti-party activities, defending Shyamala's selection as a collective decision based on experience. Another former leader, V. Kunhikrishnan, also rebelled, contesting independently over alleged financial irregularities, highlighting internal dissent in Kannur ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.