VS Achuthanandan, Pinarayi spat on murder again

[1]

The Opposition Leader, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, and the CPI(M) state secretary, Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, on Saturday had a public spat, yet again, over the party’s alleged role in the TPC murder.

“We will come to know in the days ahead whether what the party secretary and gang say (denial of involvement) about the TPC murder is true,’’ said

Mr Achuthanandan, while reacting to Mr Vijayan’s reiteration of the party’s innocence in the murder, said it was better left to the wisdom of the people.

At the last state secretariat meeting, Mr Achuthanandan said, using a popular saying, that “no one who has rice for a meal” would believe that the party had no role in the TPC murder.

Mr Vijayan said not just the “rice-eaters,” but everyone would accept the fact of CPI (M)’s innocence.

The tit for tat between the two top leaders drowned out several other developments since the party top brass had prevailed on both to refrain from going public on controversial issues.

This is the second time the two leaders have come face to face in recent times.

Mr Vijayan and Mr Achuthanandan were suspended from the politburo in 2007 and later reinstated. But Mr Achuthanandan was suspended yet again in 2009 and since then he continues in the central committee.

With the CPI(M) state unit closing ranks behind party state secretary, Mr Achuthanandan is getting increasingly isolated in the party.

The CPI(M) has been on the offensive in TPC murder. At recent zonal meetings, the message to the rank and file was clear; “there is no place for those defying the party line”.

For the central leadership, which is meeting in Delhi next month, the open targeting of its most popular leader in Kerala by the dominant faction is certainly not good news.

Mr Achuthanandan still retains his popularity, reputed for his integrity and honesty while Mr Vijayan is the powerful state secretary. Making a choice between the two is a tough call for the party bosses in Delhi.

With no hopes of being honorably reinstated in the top echelons, Mr Achuthanan-dan is clutching at the popular perception of the dominant faction’s alleged role in the murder and exploiting it to his advantage.

LDF defeat: Mr Achutha-nandan said the weakening of LDF and tacit understanding with PDP were responsible for the defeat of the front in the 2010 local bodies poll.

During the recent zonal meetings the party state leadership had stated that Mr Achuthanandan’s stand on the lottery issue and SNC Lavalin case had led to the defeat of the LDF in the Lok Sabha polls in 2009 and the local bodies elections.