The CPM is maintaining a cautious approach after some of its workers were accused of attacking ED officials in Thiruvananthapuram. The party has planned a public protest in Kozhikode on August 23, with state secretary M V Govindan scheduled to inaugurate the event.

The party leadership is also attempting to draw a distinction between the investigation involving Veena and the raids targeting a CPM district secretariat member in Kozhikode. Govindan has maintained that the case against Exalogic Solutions is unrelated to the CPM.

According to the CPM state secretary, the ED is attempting to bring Pinarayi Vijayan and former minister Mohamed Riyas into the investigation despite the case initially focusing on Exalogic. He alleged that the raids were also intended to create pressure within the party and distance its leaders and supporters.

The latest raids have nevertheless caused concern among district-level CPM leaders, particularly because the agency’s actions appear to be widening beyond individuals directly associated with the original case. Some party members believe the ED must have gathered at least preliminary material before making detailed allegations publicly, although they acknowledge that the claims have not yet been conclusively established.

The CPI’s decision to maintain its distance from the controversy has further complicated matters for the CPM. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam has said the party has no involvement in the transactions under investigation and stressed that Left politics should remain separate from business dealings.

The developments have also created an opportunity for both the Congress and BJP, though neither appears keen to push the issue too aggressively. KPCC president Sunny Joseph described the ED’s findings as serious and sought an explanation from Pinarayi Vijayan. However, the Congress has avoided directly connecting the ED raids on CPM leaders with the wider investigation, wary of being portrayed as aligning with the BJP-led Centre against the CPM.

The BJP has taken a more direct political position, with state vice-president Shone George calling for Pinarayi Vijayan to step down. At the same time, senior BJP leaders have sought to distance the party from the investigation. Former state president V Muralidharan has maintained that the probe is proceeding according to law and was not initiated at the behest of the state BJP.

The CPM now faces the immediate task of preventing the expanding investigation from creating deeper divisions or anxiety within its organisational structure. For the Congress and BJP, the challenge will be to capitalise on the political opportunity without allowing the CPM to shift the focus from the allegations to claims of political misuse of the ED.