Discord has surfaced in Kerala’s CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF over the question of accommodating those who had left the Kerala Congress (M), a major constituent of the Congress-led ruling UDF, the other day with the CPI, second biggest left party, refusing to give up any of the Assembly seats it has been contesting for the sake of the KC(M) rebels. Amidst rumours that Francis George, leader of the KC(M) rebels, is interested in contesting from the Muvattupuzha seat in Ernakulam district in the coming Assembly election, the CPI’s district committee made it clear that the question of giving up that seat did not arise at all. The CPI has been contesting the Muvattupuzha seat for the past several elections.
The CPI’s refusal to part with the Muvattupuzha seat has come close on the heels of the stand adopted by its State secretary Kanam Rajendran that the KC(M) rebels should not be inducted into the lDF before analyzing the political situation in detail. The official leadership of the coalition leader, CPI(M), is in favour of accommodating the rebels in the lDF.
The CPI’s Ernakulam district leadership has also said that it was not prepared to exchange the Muvattupuzha seat with any other seat the CPI(M) has been contesting so that the latter could offer Muvattupuzha to Francis George. Similar problems are likely to arise in the case of allotting seats to the other top rebel KC(M) leaders, Antony Raju and KC Joseph.
The KC(M) underwent a split on Thursday with a major section belonging to the group led by Irrigation Minister PJ Joseph walking out of it in protest against the alleged autocratic and family rule being pursued by party chairman KM Mani, who was forced to resign as Finance Minister in November due to a bribery charge against him.
The rebels had left the KC(M) reportedly after getting assurances on induction into or an arrangement with the lDF from the CPI(M) leadership. The departure of Francis George, one of the most popular leaders of the KC(M), and other leaders on the eve of the crucial Assembly polls is sure to affect that party and the UDF in a big way.
However, there are differences of opinion within the CPI(M) itself over the reported move to induct the KC(M) rebels, who had till recently been vehemently attacking the left in order to protect the UDF, into the Opposition front. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan is one of the Marxist leaders who are against the quick induction of the KC(M) rebels into the front.
The official CPI(M) leadership thinks that cooperation with the KC(M) rebels may bring good dividends to the left in the coming election. “The CPI(M) has not been able to make inroads into east-central Kerala’s settler farmers’ belt so far. The party feels that the KC(M) rebels can provide them with an opportunity in this regard,” said a former CPI(M) theorist.
A top CPI(M) source said, “Doubts and suspicions in the lDF and even within our party are quite normal when something like this happens. It is a fact that the party has not made any commitments to anybody. But it cannot stand mute witness to developments that can hurt the UDF and the Congress.”
The KC(M) is presently a confederation of two different parties led by Mani and PJ Joseph. The KC(Joseph) was a constituent of the lDF till 2010 when he merged it with the party led by Mani. Joseph has refused to leave the KC(M) along with the rebels though they are claiming that they have his blessings. The Joseph group has three members in the Kerala Assembly.
In the meantime, the KC(M) suffered yet another loss on Saturday with former Rajya Sabha member Vakkachan Mattathil, party general secretary and steering committee member, leaving it in protest against Mani’s “family rule” and failure to take up farmers’ issues. The Catholic Church-backed KC(M) is known as a party of the cash-crop farmers of east-central Kerala.