Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has become a sitting duck not only for the Opposition Congress but for his one-time acolytes in the CPI (M). The leaders of the CPI (M) attribute the worst defeat suffered by the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll to Vijayan.

Vijayan had led the LDF to an unprecedented victory in the 2021 assembly polls enabling the CPI(M) to break the jinx that the ruling party never wins subsequent poll and return to power. But the long time star leader of the party has become a fallen star for the CPI(M)’s poor show in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The central committee and polit bureau of the CPI(M) that met at New Delhi to analyze the  poll results rejected the report submitted by the Kerala unit of the party that stated that certain communities  voted against the LDF.

“The general belief was that Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister after the election relegating the CPI(M) to an inconsequential position,” said the Kerala unit’s report.

But the party’s general secretary and intellectual chief Sitaram Yechury, who has no love lost for Vijayan, junked the report and asked the Kerala unit to prepare a report that is compatible with Marxian ideology.

The Central leadership, with the concurrence of some senior leaders from Kerala, including two former state ministers, have turned against Vijayan. The district committees of the CPI(M) that held a comprehensive analysis of the poll results were unanimous in their findings that Vijayan alone is responsible for the failure of the LDF. Out of the 20 seats it contested, only K Radhakrishnan, the CPI(M) candidate from Aalathur Lok Sabha constituency could scrape through. 

The chief minister’s arrogance and intolerance to party members as well his rivals are seen as the cause of the LDF’s defeat. He refused to make any comments to the charges of corruption levelled against him and his daughter Veena Mohammed.  Mathew Kuzhalnadan, a Congress member of the assembly and BJP leader Shaun George have been filing cases after cases against the father-daughter duo alleging that first family of the Kerala CPI(M) were being paid crores of rupees as “speed money” by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd, a beach sand mining company owned by one Sasidharan Kartha.

Veena Mohammed is the owner of Bangalore based Exalogic Ltd, a software company. Kuzhalnadan and George have listed details of money received by Veena Mohammed and her father from CMRL for services rendered by Exalogic Ltd. “What a software company has got to do with an prdinary beach sand mining company is anybody’s guess,” said Shaun George.   

Vijayan finds himself in an unenviable position in connection with the multi-crore Cooperative Bank scam reported from  Thrissur district. V D Satheesan, leader of opposition, and Ramesh Chennithala, senior Congress leader allege that the chief minister is hand in glove with the RSS and the BJP to liquidate the Congress party .

“Though there were many scams featuring Vijayan and his family members, the Central Government has refused to take action against the former,” said Chennithala.

Though the LDF has 99 members in the 140-strong assembly, there is an element of uncertainty in the continuation of Vijayan as chief minister. Since the CPI(M)’s triennial conclave Party Congress is scheduled for next year, the party is unlikely to go for any drastic change and this is the only factor which soothes Vijayan.

Kumar Chellappan n KOCHI

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has become a sitting duck not only for the Opposition Congress but for his one-time acolytes in the CPI (M). The leaders of the CPI (M) attribute the worst defeat suffered by the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll to Vijayan.

Vijayan had led the LDF to an unprecedented victory in the 2021 assembly polls enabling the CPI(M) to break the jinx that the ruling party never wins subsequent poll and return to power. But the long time star leader of the party has become a fallen star for the CPI(M)’s poor show in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The central committee and polit bureau of the CPI(M) that met at New Delhi to analyze the  poll results rejected the report submitted by the Kerala unit of the party that stated that certain communities  voted against the LDF.

“The general belief was that Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister after the election relegating the CPI(M) to an inconsequential position,” said the Kerala unit’s report.

But the party’s general secretary and intellectual chief Sitaram Yechury, who has no love lost for Vijayan, junked the report and asked the Kerala unit to prepare a report that is compatible with Marxian ideology.

The Central leadership, with the concurrence of some senior leaders from Kerala, including two former state ministers, have turned against Vijayan. The district committees of the CPI(M) that held a comprehensive analysis of the poll results were unanimous in their findings that Vijayan alone is responsible for the failure of the LDF. Out of the 20 seats it contested, only K Radhakrishnan, the CPI(M) candidate from Aalathur Lok Sabha constituency could scrape through. 

The chief minister’s arrogance and intolerance to party members as well his rivals are seen as the cause of the LDF’s defeat. He refused to make any comments to the charges of corruption levelled against him and his daughter Veena Mohammed.  Mathew Kuzhalnadan, a Congress member of the assembly and BJP leader Shaun George have been filing cases after cases against the father-daughter duo alleging that first family of the Kerala CPI(M) were being paid crores of rupees as “speed money” by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd, a beach sand mining company owned by one Sasidharan Kartha.

Veena Mohammed is the owner of Bangalore based Exalogic Ltd, a software company. Kuzhalnadan and George have listed details of money received by Veena Mohammed and her father from CMRL for services rendered by Exalogic Ltd. “What a software company has got to do with an prdinary beach sand mining company is anybody’s guess,” said Shaun George.   

Vijayan finds himself in an unenviable position in connection with the multi-crore Cooperative Bank scam reported from  Thrissur district. V D Satheesan, leader of opposition, and Ramesh Chennithala, senior Congress leader allege that the chief minister is hand in glove with the RSS and the BJP to liquidate the Congress party .

“Though there were many scams featuring Vijayan and his family members, the Central Government has refused to take action against the former,” said Chennithala.

Though the LDF has 99 members in the 140-strong assembly, there is an element of uncertainty in the continuation of Vijayan as chief minister. Since the CPI(M)’s triennial conclave Party Congress is scheduled for next year, the party is unlikely to go for any drastic change and this is the only factor which soothes Vijayan.