The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is facing its worst internal crisis in decades, with senior leaders PK Sreemathi and KK Shailaja openly rebelling against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s leadership following the party’s humiliating defeat in the 2026 Kerala assembly elections.

Central committee member PK Sreemathi publicly described the election defeat as “shameful,” and while she attributed responsibility collectively rather than to any single individual, the sharpness of her criticism was clearly directed at Pinarayi Vijayan and MV Govindan. She criticized the “authoritarian style” of the Chief Minister and the unnecessary promotion of PA Muhammad Riyas within the party.

The rebellion comes after years of marginalization of senior Kannur-based leaders by the state leadership. Sources within the party reveal that Pinarayi’s camp had attempted to remove Sreemathi from the central committee and replace her with Riyas. However, strong intervention from the central leadership helped Sreemathi retain her position.

The unexpected defeat of KK Shailaja in Peravoor has sent shockwaves through the party. Despite being a popular figure with significant influence among the masses, Shailaja lost in a constituency where the party had expected victory. The defeat is widely attributed to internal factionalism and the arrogance of party cliques at the grassroots level.

Adding to the turmoil, Sreemathi publicly welcomed two popular decisions of the newly elected UDF government — the increase in ASHA workers’ honorarium and free bus travel for women. This endorsement of the opposition’s policies was seen as an open act of defiance against Pinarayi’s confrontational political style.

The party’s central committee meetings in the coming days are expected to conduct a thorough review of the Kerala debacle. With the central leadership preparing to rein in the dominance of Pinarayi Vijayan and MV Govindan, the dissident voices of these senior women leaders could reshape the future of the CPM in Kerala.

PK Sreemathi and KK Shailaja, both from Kannur, have long been powerful figures in the party. Their alliance signals a significant challenge to the current state leadership, reminiscent of the party’s decline in West Bengal and Tripura.