Sat Nov 30 13:51:31 UTC 2024: ## Top CPI(M) Leader Defects to BJP, Citing Party’s Loss of Secular Character

**Alappuzha, Kerala – November 30, 2024** – Bipin C. Babu, a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and former vice-president of Alappuzha district panchayat, has dramatically switched allegiances, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.

Mr. Babu, who represents the Krishapuram division in the district panchayat, received his BJP membership from national general secretary Tarun Chugh in Thiruvananthapuram. He cited the CPI(M)’s alleged loss of secular character and influence of communal forces as his reasons for leaving. He also expressed attraction to the developmental initiatives of the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Babu plans to resign from the district panchayat shortly.

BJP State president K. Surendran welcomed the defection, predicting further exodus from the CPI(M). He accused the CPI(M) of harboring mafia elements and a faction of the Popular Front of India (PFI), contributing to the party’s decline. He also highlighted the outspoken criticism of these issues by CPI(M) leader G. Sudhakaran as a significant internal challenge to the party.

Mr. Babu’s history with the CPI(M) is complex. He was suspended for six months last year following accusations of domestic violence, extramarital affairs, and black magic filed by his wife. Earlier this year, he wrote to CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan, revealing that the 2001 murder of INTUC leader Kaleekkal Sathyan was premeditated and carried out by CPI(M) members. Mr. Babu, acquitted in the Sathyan murder case in 2006, claimed he was falsely implicated at the age of 19.

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