CPI(M) dumps Palakkad district secretary after election setback

The CPI(M) on Sunday (October 4, 2026) removed E.N. Suresh Babu as the party’s Palakkad district secretary and appointed former MLA V. Chenthamarakshan to the post. The decision was taken at an extended district committee meeting as part of the party’s review of its recent electoral performance.

The change in district secretary during an interim organisational review is unusual. The move follows the party’s setbacks in the Assembly and local-body elections in Palakkad, traditionally a strong district for the CPI(M).

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) lost Chittur, Kongad and Thrithala Assembly seats to the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the elections held in April. The CPI(M) also recorded a decline in its vote share in several of its traditional strongholds. Its vote tally in the district fell by 67,000 compared with the 2021 Assembly election.

Members at the meeting demanded Mr. Babu’s removal and criticised his alleged arrogance, high-handed manner and lack of maturity in handling party affairs. They said his style of functioning had damaged the party and contributed to growing organisational problems. The district leadership was also criticised for its handling of factionalism and rebel issues.

The meeting attributed the defeats in Chittur, Kongad and Thrithala to failures in addressing these organisational problems. The Chittur defeat was linked mainly to the rebel issue at Kozhinjampara. Members also pointed to a decline in votes at Nalleppilly and Peruvemba.

In Kongad, organisational problems were cited as a major factor in the defeat. The meeting noted that the CPI(M) had sufficient organisational strength and a substantial vote base to withstand a possible transfer of BJP votes to the Congress, but still lost the seat.

Local factionalism was cited as the main reason for the defeat in Thrithala. Members questioned what the district leadership and the secretary had done to address these issues.

The meeting also criticised the leadership for aggravating rebel disputes instead of resolving them and discussed shortcomings in its interventions. The handling of group-level differences in various area committees also came under scrutiny.

As part of the organisational changes, eight new members were inducted into the district committee, while six area secretaries were made special invitees.