Kottayam: Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader G Sudhakaran, who emerged victorious from the Ambalappuzha assembly constituency as an independent candidate with the backing of the United Democratic Front, lost his composure while interacting with reporters at his residence on Thursday. The incident occurred when he was asked to respond to former MLA U Pratibha's claims regarding her defeat in the recent elections.
Sudhakaran's Outburst at Reporters
During the press interaction, Sudhakaran told reporters not to pose irrelevant questions and to avoid mentioning unnecessary names. He warned them not to 'act too smart' simply because they were holding channel microphones. When a reporter repeated the question, Sudhakaran retorted by asking them not to raise 'third-rate' questions. His wife intervened, informing him that the reporter who asked the question was her former student.
On Chief Minister Selection
Regarding the selection of the chief minister, Sudhakaran stated, 'It is not up to me; the Congress party will decide. I am not a Congress member. I am someone who won with their support.'
Tribute to Brother and Criticism of Left
After his electoral victory, Sudhakaran paid tribute at the martyr's memorial of his brother G Bhuvaneswaran at Charummoodu in Alappuzha on Wednesday. On Thursday, he strongly criticized Left leaders for targeting him over his late brother. Bhuvaneswaran, an SFI activist, was killed in campus violence at NSS College, Pandalam, in 1977.
Local CPM leaders had earlier alleged that Sudhakaran 'betrayed' his brother by contesting against the CPM as a UDF-backed independent candidate. The issue was also raised during the election campaign. Responding to reporters, Sudhakaran reacted sharply to the criticism. 'What right do they have to say this? Should they say such things in the name of Bhuvaneswaran? If they criticize people for paying tribute to a martyr, who are they trying to fool?' he asked.
He claimed that the CPM lost votes by raising the issue of Bhuvaneswaran during the election campaign. Sudhakaran also stated that the martyr's memorial was built by the family, not by the party, and that the land for it was provided by the Cashew Workers' Union. 'If they play politics in the name of Bhuvaneswaran, the existence of the party in Mavelikara will be damaged. Even now, the party's votes have come down from 35,000 to 15,000,' he claimed.
Reaction to Repeated Questions
Sudhakaran also reacted angrily when reporters repeatedly raised questions about Bhuvaneswaran, urging them to stop such inquiries.
