A senior CPM leader’s reported statement at a party meeting that the people of Kerala wished to see K.K. Shailaja as the future chief minister has sparked intense discussions within party circles.

P. Jayarajan, a prominent figure from the CPM stronghold in Kannur, allegedly said during a state committee meeting that voters in Vadakara had chosen to defeat former health minister Shailaja because they wished to see her become the future chief minister rather than her serving in Parliament.

The meeting was held to take stock of the recent poll debacle in Kerala.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Shailaja lost her seat in Vadakara to Shafi Parambil of the Congress, contributing to a disappointing outcome for the CPM, which failed to better its 2019 general election performance when it won one seat.

Both Jayarajan and the CPM have chosen to remain silent on this matter, refraining from any public comment. However, Jayarajan’s statement is unusual as the CPM traditionally does not project individual leaders prominently.

Shailaja, despite her popularity, has been sidelined within the party since the Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured a rare second consecutive term in 2021.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, known for his strong leadership and aversion to internal competition, opted for a completely new set of ministers from within the party after the 2021 victory, sidelining performers such as Shailaja and finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac despite their electoral success. Global media had lauded Shailaja for successfully handling the Nipah and Covid-19 outbreaks as health minister.

Jayarajan, a member of the influential Kannur group within the CPM that includes Vijayan, LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan and state CPM secretary M.V. Govindan, has historically wielded significant influence within the party. His recent comments underscore a broader sentiment within the party concerning leadership dynamics and strategic planning ahead of the upcoming civic polls and the 2026 state elections.

Jayarajan was among the CPM state committee members who had then fought for Shailaja’s inclusion in the cabinet, crediting her for the excellent performance of the health and family welfare department. But Vijayan loyalists late Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and A. Vijayaraghavan had shot down the proposal.

Instead, Vijayaraghavan’s wife and first-time MLA R. Bindu found a place in the cabinet, bagging the higher education portfolio, and Vijayan’s son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas was made the public works minister.

A CPM leader, who wished anonymity, admitted that the party’s failure to win more than one seat is something that the party has discussed. “The election results will continue to be discussed since we had expected to do much better,” he told The Telegraph.

But he neither confirmed nor denied the reported statement of Jayarajan about Shailaja. “I can only say that we need to have a clear plan to build the party before the civic polls and the 2026 state elections,” the leader said.

Academic and socio-political commentator M.N. Karassery wasn’t surprised by Jayarajan’s comment. “These are not misplaced words. Someone was expected to talk since Pinarayi (Vijayan) has been holding sway for too long for the comfort of even the party cadres who don’t trust him anymore,” he told this newspaper.

He recalled how the CPM’s decision to field Shailaja, who represents her native Mattannur in Kannur in the Assembly, was seen as an attempt to pack her off to Delhi.

“It’s no secret that the Kerala CPM leadership wanted to get her out of state politics. It’s a repeat of how they sidelined K.R. Gauri,” Karassery said,alluding to how shefloated the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi (Forum to Protect Democracy) in 1994 and later joined the Congress-led United Democratic Front.