CPM leadership finds lapses in Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) leadership in Kerala found severe performance lapses in the Pinarayi Vijayan government, and hence asked the state ministers to take corrective action.

Party leaders even pointed out failure in the state's law-and-order, a portfolio that was under the chief minister.

However, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan made a case for the law-and-order in the state, saying that it was a department that always came under fire, and comparatively, Kerala ranked better in terms of maintaining law and order. Balakrishnan also told reporters that the state party leadership after its five-day meeting concluded that there were both negative and positive aspects about the department.

Balakrishnan also said that ministers were told to become more visible in person, as many were still working remotely—according to the online regime initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials said that the CPM leadership meet witnessed several members expressing displeasure over the performance of different ministers and departments, but were especially scathing towards Pinarayi. The home department was widely criticised over the series of allegations against the state police.

CPM leaders’ open criticism of Pinarayi assumed significance as he was considered the unquestionable leader. Some of the ministers—from the coalition parties of the Left Democratic Front—were also unhappy over Pinarayi’s interference in their departments.

The lapses in governance were often exposed by the parties in opposition, alleged Congress leader V D Satheesan. According to the Leader of Opposition, the state even faced acute shortage of medicines, and claimed that local CPM leaders controlled the police force in the state.

Meanwhile, the CPM decided to toughen its stand against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Balakrishnan said that the Governor's recent decision not to repromulgate 11 ordinances was undemocratic. The Governor did not even cite the reasons for not repromulgating the ordinances, he claimed.

The senior CPM leader alleged that attempts to torpedo the Left-front government were going on. A large section of the media was also campaigning against the government. The Chief Minister was being specifically targeted, he said, and that the CPM would strongly resist such attempts.