There is a Malayalam saying ?The man hit by lighting, was bitten by a deadly snake. Similar is the pathetic predicament of the Kerala CPM. Already on the throes of confusion and chaos owing to the two decades of old war between VS Atchudanandan and the Kannur lobby (then led by E.K. Nayanar and now by State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan), the CBI move to prosecute Pinarayi Vijayan in the Rs.390 crores SNC-Lavlin scam in renovation of power projects, has bought the party on the chopping block of split.
V.S. Atchudanandan has been bearing grudge against the EK Nayanar-Pinarayi Vijayan-Kodiyeri Balakrishnan?P.K. Sreemathy-led Kannur axis, eversince they torpedoed his victory from the CPM bastion of Mararikulam in assembly polls of 1996, thereby denying him the chief ministership. Moreover Pinarayi had completely taken control of CPM district units by 2006 and even plotted to deny him a safe seat in 2006. It was due to public outrage that VS had to be given seat and chief ministership in 2006.
Hence when the High Court of Kerala intervened in the SNC-Lavlin Scam and ordered CBI probe, he gave silent concurrence to it. He also showed no mercy to Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and PK Sreemathy in corruption/sex scandal related cases involving their children Binesh Kodiyeri and Sudhir Nambiar.
When CBI case against Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC-Lavlin scam surfaced, Prakash Karat after initial shock, recovered and backed Pinarayi Vijayan to the hilt. He called it frame-up, conspiracy and character assassination to demolish CPM before 2009 elections. He accused the Congress of political blackmail. But VS Atchudanandan refused to open his mouth for almost ten days despite Pinarayi dominated state CPM and PB asking him to defend Pinarayi.
Further Shock was in store for the CPM, PB, Prakash Karat and Pinarayi, when he refused to attend the inauguration of the Pinarayi-led ?Nava Kerala March? in Kasargod on February 2. His stand was that the people gave him and the CPM a huge mandate in 2006 polls, for his relentless war against land, liquor, forest, sex mafia during his opposition leader stint in 2001-2006. By inaugurating the ?March? of Pinarayi, who has become the embodiment of the hugest corruption scam in the history of Kerala (Rs.390 crores), his and CPM'simage would be seriously dented. Despite PB and Prakash called him to Delhi, he refused even to attend the valedictory function of the ?March? in Thiruvananthapuram.
Although the Pinarayi dominated CPM and ministers gave full support to the tainted state Secretary, the ground level workers were disillusioned and angry. Shoes was thrown at Pinarayi in the CPM strong hold of Kannur. The booth committees for organising of ?Kerala March? are called off for want of workers. The workers even demand money for doing odd party jobs. Their contention is, when leaders and ministers spend crores and live in mansions and travel in luxurious cars, why should we slog it out in poverty? Give money and get work done. At party meets and in PB, the luxurious life-style and corruption of Pinarayi group leaders have come in for serious criticism. One can see the pitiable state of a so called working class party, which has almost Rs.20,000 crores asset with property ranging from shopping malls, tourist resorts, theme parks, five star hotels and binami real estates!
The party is trying to smoke out VS Atchudanandan from the party. Ministers like Kodiyeri, A.K. Balan, Sreemathy and Sudhakaran have started attacking him. The pro-CPM literary body (Pukasava) Secretary Kunjahmed called V.S. a mentally retarded person. VS retorted by called him a monkey!
VS has stated that he will fulfill his constitutional obligation as Chief Minister, and he will recommend for CBI probe of the case.
A petition has been filed in the High Court asking for giving directions to the VS regime to immediately prosecute Pinarayi in the SNC-Lavlin Scam. If on High Court directions VS quickens according sanction, then the Pinarayi dominated CPM is positively expected to throw him out.
Further as a severe setback to Pinarayi, a 14-page letter written by recently expired CITU strongman E. Balanandan to the PB in 2005, calling the SNC-Lavlin deal a foul-play and treacherous on the state and nation, has been published in ?Janashakthi?, a monthly run by CPM expellees and rebels.
The CPM rebels who have established strong units all over Kerala including Shornur, Onchiyam, Thalikulam have called upon VS Atchudanandan to come out of the corrupt, scam tainted and Pinarayi controlled CPM and lead a ?Clean CPM? movement like the J.P. Movement of early seventies. Will V.S. come out and be a path-maker or meekly surrender to the scam tainted Pinarayi and the PB which is backing him to the hilt. Only time can tell!
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