T Satisan, Kochi
KERALA CPM does not appear to be tiding over the crises they face one after another. Few days back party’s central committee and PB could not reach an agreement on the state committee’s recommendation to expel the close aides of the powerful leader of the opposition and veteran party leader V.S. Achuthanandan. Earlier Kerala state committee of CPM had resolved to expel A. Suresh (PA), V.K. Sasidharan (Additional Private Secretary) and K. Balakrishnan (Press Secretary) from the party. Now, General Secretary Prakash Karatt tells the state committee meeting that last central committee could not discuss the matter due to time constraint. But, the media report was different. That is, central committee and PB could not reach a decision in their separate meetings due to divided opinions. The latest fly in the ointment is regarding VS’s alleged involvement in the endeavours to trap the state party supremo Pinarayi Vijayan in the infamous SNC Lavalin case. Party enquiry commission manned by central committee member P. Karunakaran, MP is reported to have informed the leadership that VS tried to trap Pinarayi in the case. The commission was appointed due to the complaint from S. Rajendran, former secretary to VS. The report says that VS used the services of controversial Reliance PRO T.G. Nandakumar and Nandakumar tried to influence Justice V.K. Bali (then Kerala CJ), Justice H.L. Datta and former SC CJ and then SC judge Justice K.G. Balakrishnan. At that time there were reports that VS, as the CM, had recommended to the centre for the appointment of Justice Bali in the supreme court. VS had not disputed it.
VS blasted the report saying that since CBI enquiry was on it was impossible for him to interfere in the case. He denied the report that he had, during his regime as the CM, had met the then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil even though it was the day party central committee office in New Delhi was attacked; the report says that he did it despite the negative direction he got from the party centre. VS told the media men that the people of Kerala would ridicule the report.
Nandakumar told the media men that he had never met VS to discuss SNC Lavalin and Pinarayi; he had met the CM only to discuss some business matters of Reliance. He reveals that Pinarayi had contacted him to find out if he had helped VS to trap him (Pinarayi). He says, he still keeps the evidence of that telephone call.
Meanwhile party has decided to censure state committee member and former SFI firebrand leader Mercykkutty Amma for factional activities in her district Kollam. She is blamed for leveling baseless allegations against K. Varadarajan, former manager of the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani. Now, the party-appointed enquiry commission has “found out” that Varadrajan is innocent. Mercikkutty has to give explanations to the party bosses.
Now, it looks like CPM’s infights keep on continuing as a never-ending drama. Even though VS does not enjoy any majority in the state committee, he has got several well wishers in central committee and PB. Even senior leader Sitaram Yechury appears to be VS’s savior whenever he faces the wrath of state leadership. It is crystal clear that discipline is a thing of the past for CPM.
