A senior Communist Party of India Marxist leader from Kollam district, Suja Chandrababu, joined the Indian Union Muslim League on Thursday, January 22, marking another high-profile exit from the Left party in Kerala.
Chandrababu had been associated with the CPI M for nearly 30 years and was a member of its Kollam District Committee. She was formally inducted into the IUML by the party’s state president, Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. The IUML is a key ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in the state.
Speaking to reporters after joining the IUML, Chandrababu accused the CPI M of failing to practice the secular values it often speaks about in public. “The CPI M talks a lot about secularism, but that spirit is not followed within the party,” she said.
She described the IUML as a party that believes in inclusiveness and secular values, which she said influenced her decision to switch sides. “The IUML is a secular and inclusive party. That is why I decided to join it,” Chandrababu said.
She also said that she had recently observed the CPI M repeatedly targeting the IUML on various public platforms. “Lately, the Left party has been speaking against the IUML at different forums, which was deeply disturbing for me,” she added.
Chandrababu’s move comes just days after senior CPI M leader Aisha Potty joined the Congress, adding to the list of prominent leaders leaving the Left camp ahead of key political developments in Kerala.
