KAUN BANEGA KERALA CM?

Race for chief ministership rages in southern state’s CPI (M)

The race for chief ministership has begun in the Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) even before the polling. After chief ministerial prospect Pinarayi Vijayan sought to question his claim for the post by reiterating an old party resolution terming him as a leader with an anti-party mindset, fellow contender for the post V S Achuthanandan joined the race by stating that people in the state want him to be chief minister.

The former chief minister revealed his mind in an interview to a national daily. Agreeing with the interviewer that he had the people's support, Achuthanandan said that the matter had to be decided by the party's central leadership and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state.

A key ally of the CPI (M) had batted for Achuthanandan even before his party decided to give him ticket to contest the election.

There were reports that Achuthanandan had sought an assurance from the party's central leadership for leading the LDF in the election along with his bête noir Vijayan.

The nonagenarian leader denied the statement attributed to him in the interview after it fuelled a controversy. He told reporters at Kozhikode on Saturday that the media person had tried to put words into his mouth. He termed it as an act of mischief played by the interviewer to put his party in trouble.

The newspaper has stood by the interview. The daily has uploaded the video version of the interview in their website to clear the confusion. The audio recording showed the leader making the statement in response to a question from the interviewer.

The statement, coming three days after Vijayan raked up a state secretariat resolution before the state conference at Alappuzha last year, has come as a jolt to the party's attempt to present a picture of unity in the campaign front.

Political observers have viewed the statements by the two senior leaders as a sign of the raging power struggle in the party. Writer and political analyst N M Pearson said that the raging row would affect the prospects of the LDF in the election.

He said that the people voting for the LDF had a genuine fear that the race for the chief ministership may intensify after the election leading to division in the party if the LDF comes to power. The political observers have viewed Vijayan's statement as part of his move to cement his claim for the chief ministership. Leaders of the ruling Congressled United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had viewed it as a clear indication that the party will not allow another term to Achuthanandan.

The UDF had termed this as a clever ploy by the CPI (M) to win the election by making use of the mass appeal of the nonagenarian leader and to make Vijayan as chief minister if the LDF gets majority in the Assembly. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V M Sudheeran has viewed the statement of Vijayan as a vindication of their perception. Vijayan's statement makes it amply clear that the party will show the 93-year-old leader his place after the election, said Sudheeran.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also shared the same view. He said that the unity forged by the two rival factions in the CPI (M) was intended for the limited purpose of election. Chandy wondered how the two warring leaders would lead the state if they had no mutual trust.

BJP president Kummanam Rajashekharan termed the statement as a huge insult to the 93year-old leader and advised him to withdraw from the contest if he has any honour left. He said that he would not be surprised if Achuthanandan loses the election at Malampuzha.