A two-member panel appointed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State committee to look into the complaints regarding the Assembly election campaign of the Left Democratic Front in Ambalappuzha has started its inquiry.
The CPI(M) formed a panel comprising State secretariat members Elamaram Kareem and K.J. Thomas after the party received several complaints about electioneering in the constituency.
On Saturday, CPI(M) State committee member and former minister G. Sudhakaran, Ambalappuzha MLA H. Salam, Ambalappuzha area committee secretary Omanakuttan, and leaders K. Prasad, D. Lakshmanan, appeared before the commission at the party district committee office and gave their statements.
Although the party’s district leaders had levelled charges against Mr. Sudhakaran in connection with the campaigning the CPI(M) denied that the probe was aimed at any individual.
Mr. Sudhakaran, who won from Ambalappuzha in 2006, 2011, and 2016, was denied a ticket in 2021. He has been accused of remaining inactive during the campaign of CPI(M) candidate Mr. Salam.
After posters had appeared in Ambalapuzha portraying Mr. Salam as a representative of a Muslim fundamentalist outfit, Mr. Sudhakaran allegedly did nothing to counter the allegations.
Sources said Mr. Sudhakaran, who appeared before the commission in the morning, explained his version in detail.
Mr. Salam won from Ambalapuzha by a margin of 11,125 votes. But his victory margin was less compared to that of Mr. Sudhakaran, who won by a margin of 22,621 votes five years ago.
While a majority in the CPI(M) district committee members have welcomed the probe, those supporting Mr. Sudhakaran pointed out that not just in Ambalapuzha, the party had suffered in six of the seven seats it won in the district.