Pinarayi Vijayan accuses CM Satheesan of power deal conspiracy in Kerala
Synopsis
Six months out of office, Pinarayi Vijayan is back on the offensive — this time targeting his own successor V.D. Satheesan over a power purchase deal he claims was awarded without tendering, bypassed KSEB's own warnings of financial loss, and led to the transfer of an IAS officer who refused to fall in line. The Kerala power row is now also a test of post-transition political accountability.
Key Takeaways
Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan alleged on 6 November 2026 that CM V.D.
Satheesan was creating an artificial power crisis to enable corruption.
Vijayan alleged that KSEB and the Electricity Minister opposed the power purchase deal, but Satheesan overrode them unilaterally.
The deal reportedly involves General Network Access (GNA) , which Vijayan described as a digital platform, not a power generator.
Vijayan alleged no tender or transparent procedure was followed in the proposed power purchase.
Former KSEB chairman V.
Rajamanikyam was allegedly transferred for flagging irregularities and refusing to comply.
Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph reportedly recorded a file noting favouring power purchase from Himachal Pradesh .
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a sharp attack on his successor V.D. Satheesan on Friday, 6 November 2026, alleging that the current Chief Minister was engineering an artificial power crisis in Kerala to facilitate corruption in power purchase arrangements. The broadside marks the most direct political confrontation between the two leaders since Vijayan stepped down after nearly a decade in power.
The Core Allegation
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan alleged that prevailing weather conditions did not justify any electricity shortage, yet Satheesan was projecting the power sector as being in crisis. He questioned why the Chief Minister was rejecting the position of both the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Electricity Minister on the power purchase arrangements.
'The stand taken by the Chief Minister is contrary to that of both the Electricity Board and the Minister. Doesn't this raise the suspicion that something unusual is happening behind the scenes?' Vijayan said.
Bypassing the Board and Minister
Vijayan alleged that routine decisions in the power sector were primarily the responsibility of the Electricity Board, and questioned why Satheesan was directly intervening while bypassing the Electricity Department, the Minister, and the Board. He said the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility appeared to have broken down.
'If there were shortcomings in the Board's position, the government could have pointed them out and corrected them. But no such discussion or intervention took place. Why is the Chief Minister taking a unilateral decision and assuming full responsibility?' he asked.
Questions Over GNA and Tender Process
Vijayan specifically questioned the involvement of General Network Access (GNA), describing it as a digital over-the-counter platform rather than a power-generating company. 'Whose electricity is GNA supplying? Which company is actually generating the power? Who are the middlemen involved?' he asked.
He alleged that neither a tender nor any other transparent procedure had been followed in the proposed purchase, and demanded to know who had exerted pressure to buy electricity without tendering. Vijayan further claimed that KSEB had conducted a detailed study warning that the arrangement would cause financial losses to the Board, and that the government had rejected the report outright rather than engaging with its findings.
Transfer of KSEB Chief and File Notings
Vijayan described former KSEB chairman and IAS officer V. Rajamanikyam as a capable official and alleged that he had been transferred for pointing out irregularities and refusing to comply. He also claimed that Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph had recorded a file noting favouring the purchase of power from Himachal Pradesh.
Vijayan further disputed Satheesan's claim that no official letter had been sent by KSEB, saying the communication was already in the public domain. He alleged that the Chief Minister had failed to offer a convincing reply to the corruption charges levelled against him.
Political Context
This comes roughly six months after Vijayan vacated the top post, a transition that has not been without friction. As Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Vijayan now occupies a position from which he can hold the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government under Satheesan to account — a role reversal that adds an unusual political dimension to the dispute. The power purchase row is shaping up as the first major test of that new adversarial dynamic. All eyes will now be on Satheesan's formal response and whether KSEB's internal findings are made fully public.
Point of View
But from a CPI(M) veteran who shaped Kerala's power policy for nearly a decade — and whose own party now finds itself in unfamiliar territory as a ruling opposition critic. The allegation that KSEB's own financial warnings were overridden without Cabinet deliberation, and that an IAS officer was transferred for non-compliance, deserves independent scrutiny. What mainstream coverage risks missing is the internal CPI(M) dimension: Vijayan's public offensive also signals that his faction retains enough political weight to pressure the new dispensation, complicating Satheesan's ability to govern without negotiating back-channel arrangements with the outgoing power centre.
NationPress
6 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kerala power purchase controversy that Pinarayi Vijayan raised?
Vijayan alleged that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan was pushing a power purchase arrangement involving General Network Access (GNA) without following tendering norms, overriding KSEB's own assessment that the deal would cause financial losses to the Board. He claimed the move was designed to facilitate corruption under the cover of an artificial power crisis.
Who is General Network Access (GNA) and why is it controversial?
Vijayan described GNA as a digital over-the-counter platform, not a power-generating company, raising questions about whose electricity it would supply and who the middlemen involved are. He alleged that no transparent procurement process was followed before the arrangement was proposed.
Why was KSEB chairman V. Rajamanikyam transferred, according to Vijayan?
Vijayan alleged that V. Rajamanikyam, a senior IAS officer and former KSEB chairman, was transferred because he pointed out irregularities in the proposed power purchase deal and refused to comply with directions he considered irregular.
What role did Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph play in the controversy?
Vijayan claimed that Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph had recorded a file noting favouring the purchase of power from Himachal Pradesh, suggesting that the Minister's own position aligned with KSEB's recommendations rather than with the Chief Minister's stance.
What is the political significance of Vijayan attacking Satheesan on this issue?
Vijayan served as Kerala Chief Minister for nearly a decade before stepping down roughly six months ago; he now leads the opposition against Satheesan's government. His direct attack on a sitting CM from a rival party over an internal administrative dispute marks an unusually sharp escalation in post-transition Kerala politics.
