Chennai businessman Sharshad B accuses Kerala CPIM leaders of receiving large sums through questionable transactions. The complaint, leaked and used in court, has sparked political controversy ahead of elections. CPIM has denied the allegations.
Thiruvananthapuram: With just months to go before the critical Kerala Assembly elections, the state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPIM] is grappling with a new controversy involving allegations of financial misconduct. The issue centers around claims made by a Chennai-based businessman, Sharshad B, who has accused key party figures of receiving large sums of money through questionable transactions. In an email addressed to CPIM General Secretary MA Baby, Sharshad alleged that his private complaint sent to the party’s Polit Bureau (PB) was improperly disclosed and is now being used as evidence in a defamation case filed against him in the Delhi High Court. He suspects that the leak of his complaint may have involved Shyam, the son of Kerala CPIM state secretary MV Govindan.
Sharshad believes Shyam might have passed the document to Rajesh Krishna, who was accused in the complaint. Rajesh Krishna is a national executive member of the Association of Indian Communists (AIC), a group affiliated with the CPIM’s international outreach. According to Sharshad, Rajesh and Shyam have close financial ties.
What the Complaint Contains
Sharshad’s original complaint, submitted during the CPIM’s Madurai party congress, included serious accusations. He claimed that Rajesh Krishna, via a company called Kingdom India, facilitated large-scale financial transactions to several senior Left leaders not just during elections, but over an extended period. He also accused Rajesh of misusing his influence within the party and engaging in behavior that conflicted with the party’s values. One example cited was Rajesh’s alleged interference in arranging former Kerala Assembly Speaker Sreeramakrishnan’s UK visit, which Sharshad claimed brought disrepute to the party.
Initially sent to the Polit Bureau, the complaint was reportedly referred to the Kerala state unit for further investigation. However, Sharshad learnt that his confidential complaint had allegedly ended up in the hands of Rajesh, who then submitted it as primary evidence in a legal battle to defend himself. The businessman claims that the document was meant strictly for internal review and that its disclosure compromises his trust in the party’s internal processes.
Kerala CPIM Dismisses Allegations
MV Govindan dismissed the claims as “baseless” and “absurd.” Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Govindan declined to offer a detailed response and said a decision on pursuing legal action would be taken later. However, he sidestepped questions on whether internal factionalism within the party might be linked to the reported leak of a complaint sent to the CPIM Polit Bureau. Senior CPIM leader and party secretariat member Thomas Isaac, who is among those named in the controversial letter, also dismissed the allegations as unfounded. He indicated the party was considering legal steps to counter the claims. Minister MB Rajesh, another leader mentioned in the letter, alleged that the accusations were part of a smear campaign. Speaking in Kochi, Rajesh said the letter in question had been circulating on WhatsApp for the past four years and tends to resurface around election season. “With elections nearing, such documents are often weaponized,” he said.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty echoed similar concerns, calling the letter insignificant and politically motivated. He accused opposition parties of trying to discredit the CPIM and the state government as the local body and assembly elections draw closer. “With the strong possibility of this government securing another term, we expect such attacks to intensify,” he added.
Opposition Calls for Central Investigation
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that a central agency should investigate the allegations outlined in the letter. Former Union Minister V Muraleedharan said the complaint exposes the “underworld dealings” of certain CPIM leaders and questioned the party’s unwillingness to support an independent inquiry. “If there’s nothing to hide, why doesn’t the chief minister call for a central probe?” he asked. Echoing the demand, senior Congress leader and former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the allegations confirm long-standing concerns about corruption in the Kerala government. “This only reinforces the suspicions we had during the first Pinarayi Vijayan term,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Facebook post by filmmaker Ratheena PT, named in the complaint, stated that the core issue was a personal dispute between her and Sharshad which did not have political undertones. She accused him of harassing her personally and professionally after their separation, abusing her during their marriage, which led her to file for divorce, dragging her into the CPIM-related controversy to gain media attention and spreading false stories and trying to destroy her reputation in the film industry.