Kerala CPI(M) faces internal overhaul as police probe targets former chief minister

Congress-led Kerala government ordered a police investigation into former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the Enforcement Directorate suggested a vigilance probe under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The move came four months after the CPI(M) lost power in the state and forced the party to rally around Vijayan despite an ongoing internal reset. The party’s state committee met for three days in Kozhikode, an unprecedented conclave aimed at correcting leadership and organisational structures. Delegates discussed grooming a new generation of leaders and gradually moving beyond Vijayan, who has led the state party as secretary since 1998. In its election review, the CPI(M) central committee cited the “Vijayan factor” as a key reason for the defeat, noting that the campaign’s focus on a single leader allowed the UDF to target him directly. While the police probe into a payment scandal placed Vijayan at the centre of debate, the ED had only recommended a vigilance inquiry at the time of the conclave. Party general secretary M A Baby blamed RSS influence in investigative agencies and a resolution was passed condemning the ED’s action, with senior national leaders backing the former chief minister. The party’s mouthpiece Deshabhimani released a pamphlet accusing the BJP of using the ED against the Left and alleging the state Congress government was supporting the BJP’s agenda. Protest marches were organised in the capital and district headquarters hours after the probe was announced. State secretary M V Govindan led a march to the state secretariat, calling the government the “B team of the BJP” and claiming a Modi‑ED and VD alliance was targeting opposition parties.