New controversy engulfs Kerala CPI(M) after claims by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s wife

Vinodini Kodiyeri, wife of late CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, alleged that the party leadership neglected the family after his death and ignored his final wish for a public farewell in Thiruvananthapuram, triggering debate within the party

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M) leadership has come under fresh scrutiny following serious allegations by Vinodini Kodiyeri, wife of former party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, that the family was subjected to cruel neglect by the party’s top leadership after his death.

In an interview with a vernacular magazine, Vinodini alleged that senior leaders did not even bother to enquire about the well-being of the family in the four years since Kodiyeri’s demise. Kodiyeri passed away in October 2022 after a prolonged battle with cancer. She said what hurt the family the most was the manner in which Kodiyeri’s final wish was allegedly ignored.

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According to her, one of Kodiyeri’s biggest desires during his final days was to return to Thiruvananthapuram, the party headquarters, and be among the cadres who had stood by him throughout his political career. However, Vinodini alleged that the funeral procession to the state capital and the public homage at the AKG Centre, which would have drawn thousands of party workers and supporters, were deliberately avoided by certain sections of the leadership.

She said the family continues to carry the pain that Kodiyeri, a leader who spent decades building the party organisation, was denied the farewell he would have received from his supporters.

Vinodini’s remarks are being viewed as an indirect criticism of CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan and the party’s senior leadership. She alleged that a senior Politburo member holding a key position in Kerala did not even respond to her phone calls despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Vinodini questioned whether the leader avoided her, assuming that she was seeking some personal favour using his influence. She said that neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor senior party leaders, including the state secretary, had contacted the family even once to enquire about their welfare after Kodiyeri’s death.

Her criticism, she made clear, was not about her son’s political return to the party but about the alleged lack of gratitude shown towards a leader who had dedicated his entire life to the Communist movement. She said the family was not seeking favours or recommendations from anyone and that the people who disappointed them were not ordinary cadres but senior leaders of the organisation.

The allegations have triggered discussions within party circles, especially among those who had believed that Kodiyeri’s family would always receive the support of the organisation during difficult times. The revelations are likely to intensify internal debates within the CPI(M), with questions being raised over the treatment allegedly meted out to the family of one of the party’s most influential leaders.