Kanam for full control as factional feud hots up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI state secretary

Kanam Rajendran

often takes on chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. On a range of issues from Athirappilly power project to K M Mani's effectiveness, both leaders tread parallel paths which have no chance to meet each other any time soon. That is politics. Come to organizational issues, there is a different Kanam Rajendran who is eager to emulate Vijayan and explore new ways to keep the organization strictly under his control.

The decision to make control commission findings a part of the organizational report which he presented in the CPI state conference at Malappuram on Thursday was a calculated move by Rajendran. Senior leader K E Ismail and former assistant secretary C N Chandran were under attack in the organizational report as the faction led by Rajendran still views both leaders as potential threats. This forced Ismail to seek the intervention of central leadership.

Three years ago, at Kottayam, the CPI state conference was a tensed affair with Rajendran and Ismail gearing up for grabbing the top job in the state unit. The support of central leadership, including the present general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, helped manufacture a consensus in favour of Rajendran. Ismail, who also had a strong support base among delegates, was ready to contest against Rajendran that time, but the central leadership was against a contest which would only worsen the factionalism.

After the Puthussery party Congress, when Rajendran constituted his team, he was cautious to purge all Ismail loyalists. Chandran, who was the assistant secretary, was the first to go. He was replaced by Satyan Mokeri. Ismail loyalists M P Achuthan, P S Supal, V P Unnikrishnan, R Latha Devi, T V Balan and A Sivarajan were ousted from the state executive. The strength of state executive was reduced to 21 from 31 to keep it a small body which is under the control of the secretary.

Sources in the CPI said Ismail was viewed by many in the party as a leader having soft corner to the CPM state leadership. His stance in almost all issues are in contrast with the stances of the CPI state leadership but are in sync with that of Pinarayi and Kodiyeri, said a CPI leader.

When

Veliyam Bhargavan

was the CPI state secretary, Ismail was the most powerful leader in the party. As assistant secretary, he used his clout to build an army of loyalists within the party. Those who opposed him were silenced. Sources said the oppressed faction is now using its power to crunch the opponent faction and only the intervention of central leadership can bring a truce in the party.


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