Mon Aug 18 08:20:02 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
A leaked letter, allegedly detailing financial connections between Kerala CPI(M) leaders and their families with a UK-based businessman, has sparked political controversy in Kerala. The CPI(M) is accused of collusion by the Congress and BJP, who see this as an opportunity ahead of upcoming local and state elections. The CPI(M) is downplaying the letter, accusing the opposition of running a defamatory campaign and deflecting questions about internal divisions. The controversy stems from a business dispute that has spilled into the political arena.
**News Article:**
**Kerala CPI(M) Embroiled in Controversy Over Leaked Letter Alleging Financial Collusion**
**Thiruvananthapuram, August 18, 2025** – The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in Kerala is facing a political firestorm after a letter, purportedly addressed to the party’s Polit Bureau, was leaked to the media. The letter alleges financial links between top CPI(M) leaders and their relatives with a UK-based businessperson from the state.
The opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have seized upon the leaked document, accusing the CPI(M) of corruption and collusion. They claim the alleged financial nexus is evidence of wrongdoing and are using it as a key point of attack leading up to the local body elections later this year and the Assembly elections in 2026.
At a press conference in New Delhi, CPI(M) Kerala State secretary M.V. Govindan refused to confirm or deny the existence of the letter, calling questions about it “absurd.” He also declined to address speculation that the leak indicated internal divisions within the party’s leadership.
The controversy began when a former business partner of the UK-based person claimed he sent the confidential letter to the Polit Bureau. Kerala’s General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, a CPI(M) State Committee member, dismissed the allegations as an “inconsequential” document being exploited by the opposition to smear the party and its leaders. He accused the Congress and BJP of using similar “defamatory campaigns” in past elections and stated that these campaigns would intensify, given the “inevitability of a third Pinarayi Vijayan government.”
According to V. Sivankutty, instead of focusing on substantive issues like social welfare and employment, the opposition is resorting to a “smokescreen of lies and ludicrous conspiracy theories” in an attempt to gain political advantage.
The CPI(M) has promised to “weigh the matter and provide the public clarity” in due course. The controversy is expected to escalate as the elections draw nearer, with both sides gearing up for a potentially fierce political battle.
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