A new row has hit the CPI(M) in Kerala after allegations surfaced that UK-based businessman Rajesh Krishna served as a benami for top party leaders.The charge was made in a confidential letter sent to the CPIM Politburo by another businessman, Sharshad, which has since been leaked, triggering questions about the party’s internal functioning and financial dealings.
In his letter to CPIM general secretary M. A. Baby, Sharshad accused Rajesh Krishna of handling financial transactions on behalf of prominent leaders, including a former minister.It is also suspected that the confidential letter, intended solely for the Politburo, may have been passed to Krishna through Shyam, son of state secretary M. V. Govindan.. According to Sharshad, Shyam’s close financial association with Krishna makes his role in the alleged leak highly suspect.
The matter escalated when Rajesh Krishna filed a defamation case against Sharshad, reportedly relying on the same confidential letter as key evidence. This has intensified doubts about how sensitive internal communication was accessed by an individual named in the complaint.
Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan seized on the issue, stating that the CPIM cannot deny its ties to the businessman in question. He pointed out that Krishna has been seen with senior leaders during official visits abroad and has shared platforms with them at public programs. Satheesan alleged that Krishna established a company in Chennai to funnel funds from overseas into the accounts of party leaders, suggesting possible hawala and reverse hawala operations. He described the matter as a case of serious financial fraud that the CPIM cannot ignore.
However, Education Minister V. Sivankutty dismissed the controversy, branding it a politically motivated campaign. He maintained that no allegations against CPIM leaders had ever been proven in court or confirmed by any investigative authority. According to him, the latest claims are part of a wider attempt to malign the party ahead of crucial political developments in the state.
The episode has placed the CPIM on the defensive, with growing scrutiny over its financial transparency and internal accountability. While the Opposition is expected to escalate its attacks, the party leadership insists that the allegations lack credibility. The controversy, however, has deepened public debate over the CPIM’s handling of sensitive matters and the influence of external players in its financial affairs.
