KOCHI: In Kerala’s shifting political landscape, switching sides has not always guaranteed electoral rewards. While parties across fronts have shown willingness to absorb leaders from rival camps, their approaches to offering electoral opportunities differ sharply—and CPM’s latest candidate list has brought that contrast into focus.The exclusion of P Sarin has drawn particular attention in Palakkad. Sarin quit Congress after being denied the Palakkad assembly seat, then contested as a CPMbacked independent—and lost. Supporters had hoped CPM would compensate him with a formal ticket this time. Instead, his name was absent from the final list, reportedly triggering resentment among workers who had followed him out of Congress. Sarin had earlier lost the 2021 Ottapalam seat as a Congress candidate.He is not alone. Several Congress leaders who defected to CPM in recent years now find themselves in organizational or advisory roles rather than electoral ones. K P Anil Kumar, who made a high-profile exit from Congress, has not been fielded this time. He downplayed the omission, saying he had never actively sought a seat. “I contested only when the party asked me to. Such opportunities are decided based on multiple factors,” he said. P S Prasanth, appointed president of the Travancore devaswom board under LDF, also remains outside the electoral fray after his tenure ended controversially amid the Sabarimala gold theft issue. Others—G Rathikumar, Shobhana George and A K Shanib—have similarly not been considered for tickets despite the visibility of their defections.Veteran leader K V Thomas presents a different case. Without formally taking CPM membership, he became a close associate of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and was appointed Kerala’s special representative in Delhi. Yet the party has shown little inclination to return him to active electoral politics.Within CPM, unease has long persisted among grassroots workers over offering electoral tickets to leaders who switch sides just before elections. Cadres who have spent decades building the organization often view such moves as unfair shortcuts. Observers say the leadership has factored in this sentiment, resulting in a cautious approach: While the party is open to accepting defectors, it is far less willing to guarantee them an electoral future.UDF has historically taken a more accommodative approach, says political and social observer M N Karassery. He points to figures like M V Raghavan and K R Gowri, both political realigners who were not just absorbed but went on to become ministers. “That reflects a pattern where UDF has been more willing to integrate and elevate such leaders within its power structure,” he says.That tradition appears to continue selectively. Sandeep Warrier, a former BJP spokesperson, was quickly fielded by Congress in Trikaripur after switching sides, injecting unexpected contest into an otherwise one-sided seat.In parallel, Congress has extended tacit or open support to leaders who exited the Left without formally joining the party. Figures such as G Sudhakaran, P K Sasi and P Kunhikrishnan have benefited from this approach, with the party either backing them or choosing not to field strong candidates against them in specific contexts.BJP, with its relatively limited footprint across much of Kerala, also has room to position newcomers—as seen with CPI defector C C Mukundan.Meanwhile, the return journeys are equally telling. P V Anvar, once a Congressman, later aligned with CM Pinarayi Vijayan after securing LDF backing and winning from Nilambur, eventually fell out with the front. His subsequent shift to UDF has now earned him a contesting seat in Beypore. Similarly, Karat Razzaq, who began his career in IUML and later contested against UDF with LDF support in 2016, has since returned to IUML fold and is now openly critical of LDF
