Resentments within party make upcoming central committee meeting crucial for Pinarayi

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the CPM Kerala leadership is reluctant to admit anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi Vijayan government and his approaches as reasons for the left-front's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, the district level review meetings of the party are reportedly witnessing criticisms against the government.

Issues ranging from Vijayan's anger towards microphone operators for malfunctioning of microphones at public venues to the allegations against his daughter's financial dealing with a controversial mining firm are reportedly being raised by party cadres at the district level review meetings.

For these reasons, the CPM central committee meeting scheduled to take place this weekend could be crucial for Vijayan.

After the recent state committee meeting, CPM state secretary M V Govindan listed out shift in Hindu-Ezhava votes towards BJP and Muslim polarisation in favour of Congress as key reasons for the left-front's defeat in 19 of the 20 seats. Even while accepting that there was a need to review the functioning of various government departments, he did not accept any fault with Vijayan's style of functioning, especially his adamant remarks and alleged extravaganza.

However, sources point out that the recent remarks of former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac over CPM losing mass support, critical remarks of former minister and CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran against Vijayan's son-in-law and public works-tourism minister Mohammed Riyas in the Assembly the other day and the decision of a local leader of the party at Kannur to quit the party— are indications of the strong resentments with in the party coming out.

Such voices of resentment could come up in the central leadership meetings too.

Former CPM leader and political commentator Appukuttan Vallikunnu told DH that the responsibility to correct a Communist government should be on the party.

Right from the time of the first Communist government led by E M S Namboodiripad that used to be the practice. Hopefully that will happen this time, according to Vallikunnu.

Even as Pinarayi Vijayan's approach and attitude came up for widespread criticism on many occasions earlier, he enjoyed an upper hand in the party and managed to suppress voices of dissent. But the poor electoral performance of the party in the lone state where it is in power over the last eight years literally shook the central leadership too.

Even party general secretary Sitaram Yechury did not reject reporters' recent queries on whether corrective measures like change in chief minister will be initiated.