The Kerala CPI(M) on Monday elected neoliberalist Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan from Kannur as its new secretary at its State conference in Alappuzha even as senior-most party leader VS Achuthanandan rejected the leadership’s ultimatum to participate in the meet and the party dropped him from its State committee. Kodiyeri’s “unanimous” election as State chief marked the end of the 17-year-long rule of Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala.
Achuthanandan, who had walked out of the conference on Saturday, defied the party directive to return to it on Monday through a statement which said he could not attend the meet as a State secretariat resolution which branded him a person with anti-party mentality still remained effective. He also reiterated the demands he had repeatedly made to the central leadership.
“I am staying away from the conference because I am convinced that it is improper for anyone branded as an anti-party person to take part in it. That situation remains unchanged and therefore I am unable to participate in the conference. I have informed General Secretary Prakash Karat of my helplessness,” Achuthanandan said in a statement.
The four-day meet concluded on Monday with a grand rally at which Karat said he was disappointed by Achuthanandan’s absence. “I had requested him on Sunday to return to the conference. We value him as an inherent part of the party... However, this party does not belong to any one particular person. It is the party of the people of Kerala,” Karat said.
Achuthanandan’s rejection of the ultimatum served on him by the general secretary is in itself a grave violation of party discipline but the CPI(M) is finding it difficult to take any “decisive” action against him mainly as he is the most popular leader of the party in entire India and the most respected politician in Kerala. In a step allegedly devised for giving the final blow to Achuthanandan, a central committee member, the State secretariat controlled by Pinarayi had last Thursday - on the eve of the State conference - adopted a resolution describing him as a person with anti-party mentality by enumerating the instances at which he had allegedly acted against the party.
Also, Pinarayi repeated almost the same charges against the veteran in the organisational report he presented to the conference on Saturday. This was followed by the scathing attacks against him by most of those who spoke at the meet. Infuriated and pained by this sustained attack, Achuthanandan walked out of the conference.
On Monday, the Kerala CPI(M) elected a new 88-member State committee by excluding Achuthanandan but leaving one position vacant reportedly to accommodate him later if it became necessary. loss of membership in the committee would make uncertain his continuance as the Opposition leader in the Assembly.
The newly constituted State committee elected Kodiyeri as the new secretary of the party in Kerala bringing to an end the rule of Pinarayi, secretary since 1998, who stepped down as per the norm that secretaries should not continue for more than three consecutive terms. As per the same norm, Karat will step down as General Secretary with the 21st party congress in April.
A Kannur lobby heavyweight, Kodiyeri is known as a diplomatic politician capable of retaining warm relationship even with Achuthanandan while being close to his fiercest enemy, Pinarayi. Presently, Kodiyeri is Deputy Opposition leader in the state Assembly and had been State Home minister when Achuthanandan was Chief Minister between 2006 and 2011.
“We will try our level best to keep Comrade VS with us. He should have been here at the conference. VS had all the opportunity to present his case in the respective forums of the party but he did not utilise it. We still have hopes in him,” Kodiyeri said in the first Press conference he held after assuming charge as State secretary.