Taliparamba MLA T.K. Govindan declines to comment on Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism

Former Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader and Taliparamba MLA T.K. Govindan has refused to comment on Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks against him at Mayyil in Kannur, Keralam, on August 30.

Mr. Govindan’s office staff told The Hindu on Monday that he would not like to comment on them at present.

Mr. Vijayan is scheduled to address another public meeting in Taliparamba on Monday evening. Mr. Govindan is expected to respond to the remarks made against him after the meeting, his office staff said.

At the Mayyil meeting, the former Chief Minister had asked the cadre to “realise their mistake” and work toward strengthening the party.

“Some of you would be repenting electing an opportunist like T.K. Govindan. I’m referring to the LDF supporters who voted for Mr. Govindan. They should realise the party sentiment and espouse the correct political position. An opportunist like Mr. Govindan has won here and we have been defeated across Keralam. We accept the defeat in Taliparamba as well. But Mr. Govindan’s win needn’t be seen as a win forever. It’s a time for the party to move forward united,” Mr. Vijayan had said.

K.K. Ragesh, CPI(M) Kannur district secretary, had also criticised Mr. Govindan at the meeting, calling him “the Brutus of Taliparamba” and a “class traitor”.

Mr. Govindan, a former district secretariat member of the CPI(M), had rebelled against the party decision to field P.K. Shyamala, wife of CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan, from Taliparamba. He was subsequently expelled from the party.

Mr. Govindan later contested the 2026 Assembly polls with the support of the United Democratic Front and won from Taliparamba.