Kerala elections 2026: Who is P Madhusudanan? Party worker in Mattannur who grows a hammer and sickle

KOCHI: P Madhusudanan takes party loyalty to a different level entirely. A devoted CPM supporter from Panalal, Mattannur, he has found his own unique way to campaign — one that involves ploughing, watering and weeks of careful tending. Every election season, his farm sprouts not grain, but a vibrant, 30-foot hammer and sickle.Fondly called Madhuvettan by locals, he has been landscaping CPM’s iconic symbol into his crops for four elections and one party congress. This time, he has used red spinach for the symbol and green paddy to spell out the name of CPM’s young candidate, V K Sanoj.“I usually use paddy or landscape grass. This time I thought to mix it up with red spinach so the symbol stands out better,” he said. The project has become something of a local attraction—party workers look forward to it each cycle, and the symbol has drawn notable visitors. “Comrade Sanoj came a few days ago. Last time, Shailaja teacher had also come to see it,” Madhusudanan said.He works as a security guard and borrows a plot owned by a friend—a field previously used for heyyam, which meant little clearing was needed. Preparation began six weeks ago: He sketched the design into the earth, conditioned the soil with lime and poultry manure, and sowed the red spinach seeds on March 1. The upkeep is meticulous. “It has come out really well. I water it twice a day, remove weeds whenever they appear, and tend to it by hand every evening after work. Farmers nearby pump water from a pond—I collect it and store it in a drum,” he said.Madhusudanan commitment to the party runs deep. In 1993, he spent nearly 20 days in jail for participating in a DYFI march to the DIG office in Kozhikode. “My politics is very local. I don’t have the skills for public speaking, so I do what I can,” he said. These days, that includes managing social media as well.As April 9 approaches, Madhusudanan is confident. Panalal, he says, is a party fortres— and the whole village, he expects, will press the hammer and sickle.