VS dilemma burdens Kerala CPI(M) again
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With CPI(M) central leadership leaving the state unit to take a final call on the candidature of veteran VS Achuthanandan, 93, all eyes are on the party state secretariat meet on Tuesday. Will he or won’t he, a raging debate is on in party circles and outside.
Though he won’t suffer ignominy of earlier two elections (2006 and 11), when central leadership had to intervene to ensure a seat for him, this time it won’t be that difficult for him. The ace crowd-puller, the party is banking on him heavily to retrieve its prospects in one of its last forts. With massive appetite for power he’s made it clear that he is ready for another round. The central leadership had discussed it in detail in Delhi on Saturday but failed to reach a consensus.
A section of the state party feels that former secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who has been keeping away from electoral politics for a long time, should lead the campaign and be made chief minister if the LDF comes to power. They also cite falling health of VS to buttress this. At the same time they want VS to be in the forefront of electioneering. However VS has made it clear that if he was sidelined he will lead a retired life and won’t be available for campaigning also. The party can’t afford this risk now.
Sensing trouble the central leadership wanted both, VS and Pinarayi, to contest and decide the chief minister issue only after the poll. But Pinarayi loyalists fear that VS, with his mass popularity and good rapport with party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, will pose a threat to Pinarayi at eleventh hour. Going by his nature VS will naturally ask for pound of flesh in case of a tight situation.
In state committee and secretariat Pinarayi enjoys brute majority. To ensure a smooth sail Yechury and Politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai are attending both on March 1 and 2.
“The party has got a golden opportunity in Kerala now. We don’t want to give an impression that every time central leadership imposes its decision on state unit. Let it come out with a decision that suits all,” a senior leader said.
The state leadership had reprimanded VS on several occasions for his one-man style of functioning and ignoring the party diktat but he fought a lonely battle attaining a cult status among the middle class.