Kerala Leader of Opposition and senior CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday accused former party fellow V Kunhikrishnan of joining hands with the rivals and working against the CPM, saying this contributed to the LDF’s defeat in Payyanur in the Assembly election.

Vijayan was speaking at a CPM programme organised in Payyanur to explain the party’s position on its electoral defeat in the constituency, traditionally considered a CPM stronghold.

Kunhikrishnan, a former CPM leader, had raised corruption allegations against party leaders in Payyanur before he was expelled from the party. He later contested the Assembly election as an independent candidate backed by the UDF and won the seat.

‘People within party worked with opponents’

Vijayan said the CPM’s defeat in Payyanur could not be explained only through factors operating within Kerala, given the constituency’s traditional support for the party and the LDF.

“What happened here is that there were people who, while remaining part of the party, played into the hands of its opponents. While being at the leadership level of the party, efforts were made to destroy the party's credibility and alliances were established with the party's enemies,” he said.

He said the CPM was taking the loss of support in Payyanur seriously, pointing to the sharp decline in its vote share.

According to Vijayan, the CPM’s vote share in the constituency fell from more than 62 per cent in 2021 to around 44 per cent in the latest election. The UDF, meanwhile, secured around 49 per cent of the vote, he said.

CPM concerned over vote leakage

Vijayan said the larger concern for the CPM was not simply that the UDF had won, but that a significant portion of the votes previously secured by the party had moved away.

“The fact that around 18 per cent of the people who used to stand with the party did not align with the party or the LDF this time is something we view with extreme seriousness,” he said.

He said the party would take necessary steps to regain the trust of those who had moved away from the CPM and the LDF.

Vijayan also launched a sharp attack on Kunhikrishnan, describing him as an “axe-handle in the hands of the enemy”. He alleged that Kunhikrishnan’s actions were intended not to strengthen the party but to damage it.

Remarks come amid criticism of Vijayan

Vijayan’s remarks come amid criticism within and outside the CPM over the LDF’s performance in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election.

Critics, as well as sections of internal assessments of the election setback, have attributed the CPM-led front’s poor performance to what they describe as Vijayan’s centralised, one-man style of functioning.

Vijayan served as Kerala chief minister for two consecutive terms. Critics have argued that his prolonged leadership contributed to perceptions of arrogance around both the chief minister and the CPM ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.

The CPM-led LDF has also faced differences with its major ally, the CPI. The CPI has criticised Vijayan over his open rejection of its demand for the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.