Sunday, June 21, 2009

Achuthanandan under attack from CPM CC members

21 Jun 2009, ET Bureau


NEW DELHI: The two-day CPM central committee (CC) deliberations, which began in the Capital on Saturday, saw Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan come under attack from the state committee members and supporters of Pinarayi Vijayan, as the party decided to hold a special politburo (PB) meeting in the first week of July to solve the Kerala factional feud.

Mr Achuthanandan, who has refused to toe the party line on criticizing the Kerala governor for giving the CBI the go-ahead to prosecute arch-rival Mr Vijayan (who is CPM’s Kerala party in-charge) was targeted by his Cabinet colleague and state finance minister Thomas Isaac. Sources said the leader held the CM responsible for the party’s poor showing, representing the overwhelming view against Mr Achuthanandan in the state committee, controlled by Mr Vijayan.

With the party deciding to hold a special PB meeting on 3-4 July to discuss the Kerala factionalism issue, there is a possibility of action against Mr Achuthanandan.

However, before taking any such step the party will have to consider the opinions of Mr Achuthanandan’s supporters in the PB and the West Bengal CPM who are against action against the CM alone while leaving Mr Vijayan untouched.

Other than the Kerala issue, the Lalgarh Maoist siege also dominated proceedings at the meeting on Saturday with West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee presenting a report to the body on the ground situation . The CC adopted a resolution calling for “solidarity campaign with West Bengal” and endorsing state unit’s line that the Maoist violence in West Midnapore was aided by the Trinamool Congress.

Reflecting the party’s decision to portray the Lalgarh operation as a joint exercise between the Centre and state government, Mr Bhattacharjee thanked the Union government for swiftly meeting his request for deployment of forces. He also said the West Bengal government would give “serious thought” to banning the CPI(Maoist) as suggested by Mr Chidambaram.

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