Thiruvananthapuram, June 5: Questions are resurfacing regarding the leadership of CPI(M) in Kerala. Vinodini Kodiyeri, the wife of former state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, has made serious allegations that the party’s top leadership has grossly neglected her family following her husband’s death.
In an interview, Vinodini claimed that in the four years since Kodiyeri’s passing, senior party leaders have not even bothered to inquire about their family’s well-being. Kodiyeri succumbed to cancer in October 2022 after a prolonged battle.
She expressed that the family is particularly saddened by the disregard for Kodiyeri’s last wish. In his final days, he longed to return to Thiruvananthapuram, the party headquarters, to be among the workers who supported him throughout his political career.
Vinodini alleged that the funeral procession to the state capital and the public tribute at the AKG Centre, which thousands of party workers and supporters would have attended, were deliberately postponed by certain factions within the leadership.
She stated that the family still mourns the fact that Kodiyeri, who dedicated decades to building the party organization, did not receive the farewell he deserved from his supporters.
Vinodini’s remarks are being interpreted as an indirect criticism of CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan and the senior leadership. She accused a senior Politburo member of ignoring her calls despite her repeated attempts to reach out.
She questioned whether this leader disregarded her because they believed she might seek personal gain by leveraging her husband’s influence. Notably, neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor any senior party leader reached out to the family after Kodiyeri’s death.
Vinodini clarified that her criticism was not about her son’s political return to the party but rather about the lack of gratitude shown to a leader who dedicated his life to the communist movement.
She emphasized that the family is not seeking any favors or recommendations, and those who disappointed them were not ordinary workers but senior leaders within the organization.
These allegations have sparked discussions within party circles, especially among those who believed that the organization would always support Kodiyeri’s family during difficult times. This revelation is likely to intensify internal debates within CPI(M) as questions arise about the treatment of one of the party’s most influential leaders’ families.
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