Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who arrived here on Monday night, left no one in doubt as to who is running the show even in the home turf of his bête noire Pinarayi Vijayan, at least for now.
All other leaders in the Pinarayi camp, including central committee members E.P. Jayarajan and P.K. Sreemathi, were dwarfed by the enthusiastic support Mr Achutthanandan received from the party workers.
At the Left Democratic Front (LDF) election convention held at Mattannur on Tuesday, Mr Jayarajan, who is also the candidate in the constituency, declared that VS will lead the LDF ministry for a second time.
The ‘Kannur lobby’ in the party, which is often portrayed as the powerful group in the CPI (M), is now forced to toe the Achutthanandan line.
These leaders are anxious to project that they did not come in the way of Mr Achuthanandnan becoming a LDF candidate again.
In his speeches, Mr Achuthanandan, as usual, stressed on the ‘personal’ fights that he had to undertake as the Opposition leader and later as the Chief Minister against all kinds of mafia. There was not much mention of the party’s achievements.
He also targeted Indian Union Muslim League general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty and Opposition leader Oommen Chandy, who is on a sticky wicket in the palmolein case.
The publicity material displayed at various constituencies in the district also had a lot to say about the present situation in the party. Majority of the flex boards show a smiling Mr Achuthanandan. Mr Vijayan is nowhere to be seen in posters and banners.