Kerala CPI(M) rebel backer's shrimp farm torched in Kannur arson attack
Synopsis
A shrimp farm torched, shrimp pond allegedly poisoned, and a car previously set on fire — the attacks on T. Purushothaman in Kannur are no longer isolated incidents. They are a window into the CPI(M)'s post-election fracture, where a collapse from 99 to 35 seats has unleashed factional violence in the very district the party once called its strongest fortress.
Key Takeaways
The shrimp farm of T.
Purushothaman , a supporter of rebel MLA V.
Kunjikrishnan , was allegedly set on fire at Kandankali, Payyannur shortly after midnight on Thursday .
Purushothaman alleged an unidentified liquid was mixed into the shrimp pond and suspected an explosive was used — a police complaint is to be filed.
This is the second attack on him; his house and car were targeted during the election campaign, leading to the arrest of five CPI(M) workers .
He blamed former MLA T.I.
Madhusoodanan , alleging a social media campaign against him preceded the arson.
The CPI(M)'s seat count in the 140-member Kerala Assembly fell from 99 to 35 , with Kannur bastions Payyannur and Taliparamba lost to UDF-backed rebels.
A shrimp farm belonging to T. Purushothaman, a former Communist Party of India (Marxist) member and key supporter of rebel MLA V. Kunjikrishnan, was allegedly set ablaze at Kandankali in Payyannur, Kannur in the early hours of Thursday, deepening the factional crisis gripping the party after its worst electoral rout in decades. The attack is the second targeting Purushothaman within weeks, raising fresh questions about political violence inside the CPI(M)'s own organisational heartland.
What Happened at the Farm
The fire broke out shortly after midnight at a storage shed on Purushothaman's shrimp farm. He discovered the destruction when he arrived Thursday morning to feed the shrimp. The shed, which contained shrimp feed, nets, transport boxes, pipes, and trays, was completely gutted.
Purushothaman alleged that an unidentified liquid substance had been mixed into the shrimp pond in an apparent bid to kill the juvenile shrimp, and he suspected an explosive substance may have been used to start the fire. He said a formal police complaint would be filed.
A Pattern of Targeting
This is not the first time Purushothaman has been targeted. During the recent Assembly election campaign, his house was attacked and his car set on fire. Five CPI(M) workers were subsequently arrested in connection with that incident.
Purushothaman alleged that the latest attack was politically motivated, directly blaming former MLA T.I. Madhusoodanan. 'For the past several days, CPI(M) workers have been planning attacks against those who supported V. Kunjikrishnan. There was a sustained campaign against me on social media after the former MLA spoke against me. This attack followed that,' he alleged.
Kannur's Crumbling Stronghold
The incident comes as the CPI(M)'s national and state leadership reviews the Left's crushing defeat in the Kerala Assembly elections, in which the party's strength in the 140-member Kerala Assembly collapsed from 99 seats to just 35. Kannur, long regarded as the CPI(M)'s most formidable organisational district in the country, has been at the centre of post-poll turbulence.
Notably, two of the party's traditional bastions — Payyannur and Taliparamba — fell to rebel candidates backed by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), exposing deep fissures that party leadership has so far been unable to contain.
Implications for the CPI(M) Leadership
The latest incident is set to further embarrass the CPI(M) leadership, which is already navigating the political fallout of its steepest electoral decline in recent memory. The violence in Kannur signals that internal dissent has moved well beyond ballot boxes and party meetings — it has spilled into what critics argue is organised intimidation of those who backed rebel candidates.
With the party yet to publicly address the pattern of attacks on Kunjikrishnan supporters, pressure is mounting on senior leadership to act before the situation in its once-impregnable northern Kerala base deteriorates further.
Point of View
Yet Kannur now records repeated physical attacks on those who backed a rebel MLA, with five party workers already arrested in a prior incident. A party that cannot protect its own dissidents from within risks accelerating the very exodus that cost it 64 seats. The leadership's silence on the pattern of targeting is itself a political statement — and not one that helps its credibility in the post-election reckoning.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at T. Purushothaman's shrimp farm in Kannur?
A storage shed on his shrimp farm at Kandankali in Payyannur was allegedly set ablaze shortly after midnight. Purushothaman also alleged that an unidentified liquid was mixed into the shrimp pond to kill juvenile shrimp, and he suspected an explosive substance was used in the attack.
Who is T. Purushothaman and why was he targeted?
T. Purushothaman is a former CPI(M) member and a key supporter of rebel MLA V. Kunjikrishnan. He alleged the attack was politically motivated, blaming former MLA T.I. Madhusoodanan and claiming a social media campaign against him preceded the arson.
Is this the first attack on Purushothaman?
No. During the Assembly election campaign, his house was attacked and his car set on fire. Five CPI(M) workers were arrested in connection with that earlier incident, making the shrimp farm arson the second attack targeting him.
How badly did the CPI(M) perform in the Kerala Assembly elections?
The CPI(M) suffered its worst electoral setback in decades, with its seat count in the 140-member Kerala Assembly crashing from 99 to just 35. In Kannur — historically the party's strongest district — traditional strongholds Payyannur and Taliparamba were lost to rebel candidates backed by the Congress-led UDF.
What are the broader implications of the Kannur violence for the CPI(M)?
The repeated attacks on Kunjikrishnan supporters are deepening the factional crisis at a time when the party is already reviewing its worst electoral defeat in recent memory. The violence in Kannur signals that internal dissent has escalated beyond political disagreement into alleged organised intimidation, putting further pressure on the party leadership to act.
