Two days ahead of his 66th birthday, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, secretary of the Kerala CPI(M) stepped down from the post citing health reasons.
A crisp release issued by the State Secretariat of the CPI(M) on Friday claimed that Balakrishnan has been given leave by the party following his request that he may be relieved from the post of secretary as he needs to undergo medical treatment. Balakrishnan was elected party secretary in 2015.
But the decision to relive Balakrishnan and entrusting the responsibility to A Vijayaraghavan, described as a sidekick of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is being seen as a sequel to the arrest and incarceration of the former’s son Bineesh Kodiyeri by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with charges of money laundering and financing narcotics trade by Anoop Mohammed, a Bangalore based drug dealer. Bineesh has been sent to judicial custody after ten days of interrogation by the ED and is put up at Parappana AgraharaCentral Prison. His bail application would come up for hearing on November 18.
The timing of the CPI(M) to remove Balakrishnan (though leaders and the media release claim it as medical leave) at this juncture, when Kerala is in the midst of election to local self-government bodies have surprised the party cadre. Balakrishnan, who was elected as party secretary in 2015 was known as a tough taskmaster though he was considerate to the genuine needs and requirements of the cadre and allies. It was his tactical move which resulted in the Church dominated Kerala Congress (Mani) group dumping the UDF and joining the LDF recently.
Though Balakrishnan was known for his political acumen, his wife Vinodini and two sons Binoy and Bineesh through their flashy lifestyles proved to be his undoing. Elder son was held up by the Dubai Police in UAE following financial embezzlement to the tune of crores of rupees.
He was allowed to leave the oil rich nation after an Indian business baron agreed to write off the losses suffered by the former’s business partner.
This was followed by his escapades and a legal suit about the paternity of a child born to a dancer from Bihar.
Bineesh is known to be the aggressive and is enmeshed in many questionable deals. During a news channel debate Anathalavattam Anandan, a senior leader of the CPI(M) was seen lambasting at Bineesh for his reckless lifestyle and misdeeds.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too washed his hads off Binees following the latter’s arrest by the ED. “The decision to remove Baklakrishnan from the post of secretary has come at the most inappropriate time for the CPI(M),” said Murali Parappuram, a well known author and commentator who has been a long time CPI(M) observer. He said the party’s decision to replace Balakrishnan was a too late and too little act and would not be able to save the CPI(M) from the rit that has been set in. Kerala is going to the assembly polls in another four months and Balakrishnan was rated as the spearhead of the CPI(M) campaign.