CPM sacks Karnataka leader from party posts for ‘serious misconduct’

In a statement, the CPM said the Central Committee decided to remove Reddy “from all elected positions in the party on charges of serious misconduct” but did not reveal the nature of the allegation against him. Sources in the party said Reddy was facing allegations of sexual misconduct and disorderly maintenance of financial records and an internal inquiry had found him guilty.

“The Karnataka State Committee of the Party held a meeting on December 18, which was attended by the General Secretary and four Polit Bureau members. This meeting unanimously elected U Basavaraj as the Secretary of the State Committee,” a CPM statement said.

Reddy represented the Bagepalli assembly seat twice in Karnataka Assembly — in 1994 and in 2004. He was the CPM candidate in the Assembly elections earlier this year as well. He came a close second.

“The complaints came after the last state conference of the party. There were allegations of sexual nature and regarding non-maintenance of accounts properly. It is not his job to maintain the accounts, but he as the head of the unit should have ensured that everything is in order,” a senior leader said.

The central disciplinary committee dealt with it, he said.

Sources said Reddy, who has been in the party for nearly five decades, had come up in the ranks from students and youth movements. The state committee, packed with his loyalists, are learnt to have objected to his removal but the central leaders weighed in. At the core of the issue is factionalism and it had to be put to an end, a senior leader said.

CPM general secetary Sitaram Yechury and politburo members Prakash Karat, S R Pillai, M A Baby and B V Raghavulu were present at the state committee meeting on Tuesday.