New Delhi, July 06: Having learnt a lesson from the electoral backlash, the CPM has decided to finally address the decade-old issue of factionalism in its Kerala unit.
The meeting of the CPM politburo approved a set of proposals including removal of Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan from the politburo, disciplinary actions against certain central committee members, restructuring of the state secretariat and committee and a rectification campaign at various levels of the state party.
The politburo’s proposals will be discussed and ratified at a central committee meeting of the party on July 11 and 12.
There are clear indications that the leadership plans to put an end to the crisis in Kerala with the two-day meeting of the central committee. In the last meeting of the central committee, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat is learnt to have come under fire from his West Bengal comrades for going slow on the crisis in its Kerala unit.
Both Achuthanandan and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan were suspended from the CPM politburo for a brief period last year.
Sources indicated that, this time, Achuthanandan is under the line of fire for “gross indiscipline”. A recently concluded meeting of the central committee had publicly blamed Achuthanandan for his role in ensuring defeat of the Left Democratic Front in the Lok Sabha polls as “ some of his statements had an adverse effect on the people”. Senior leaders said the CM should now be removed from the panel as he had already been suspended from the politburo.
Vijayan’s alleged role in spreading factionalism in the state unit would also be discussed. If the central committee felt Vijayan’s actions were worth punishment, he could be publicly censured or even removed from the politburo.
Certain central committee members from Kerala may also face disciplinary action for taking sides. However, sources said that both Achuthanandan and Vijayan would continue as the state chief minister and party secretary for the time being.
–Agencies