Thiruvananthapuram/Alappuzha: The public censure was the second disciplinary action against G Sudhakaran in the past two decades.
He was demoted to the district committee from the state committee in 2002 over factionalism within the party's Alappuzha district unit. The unit had then witnessed fierce feuds between the VS and Pinarayi factions. Alappuzha and Thrissur district committees were then disbanded over the same issue.
Once a staunch VS supporter, Sudhakaran shifted sides to Pinarayi camp after his unexpected defeat at Kayamkulam in 2001 He had also then replaced V Kesavan as the district secretary.
A CPM-appointed probe commission, however, found that Sudhakaran and Kesavan factions fought with each other, violating organisational principles. Based on the finding, both the leaders were demoted to the district committee from the state committee.
Sudhakaran was re-inducted into the state committee after three years. The party, which implemented the two-term norm while nominating candidates for the Assembly election, has now publicly censured Sudhakaran over the developments that followed after he was denied a seat to contest.
The party has cited Sudhakaran's behaviour "during the candidate selection and electioneering thereafter were not befitting that of a party state committee member" to publicly censure him. However, it has been believed that more incidents, apart from 'not doing enough' during the campaign', too, had led to the disciplinary action.
Sudhakaran was the most prominent pro-Pinarayi leader in Alappuzha when the latter was CPM's state secretary. After Pinarayi became the chief minister in 2016, new groups owing allegiance to him took shape in the district. A section of party workers believe that Pinarayi's statement that the party should not be led by a single leader in a district was a message directed at Sudhakaran. Pinarayi made the comment while addressing the Alappuzha district committee ahead of the Assembly polls.
Disciplinary actions in CPM
Public censure is the third severe disciplinary action in the CPM, which could initiate six actions against erring workers. The disciplinary actions are, 1. warning, 2. censure, 3. public censure, 4. ousting from party posts, 5. suspension from party for a period less than a year, and 6. expulsion from the party.
Of the six disciplinary actions, warning and censure would remain within the party forums, but actions from public censure onwards will be made public.