Vijayan fans up in arms against VS

11 Jun 2009,

NEW DELHI: The CPM-led Kerala government was in the threos of a full blown crisis with chief minister V S Achuthanandan defying his party’s line to back governor R S Gavai, who gave CBI the sanction to prosecute CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case, and CPM ministers making it known to the leadership that they cannot function under the chief minister.

Breaking his silence on the governor’s decision, the chief minister on Wednesday afternoon said Mr Gavai’s nod for the prosecution did not come as a surprise. “There have been precedents of governors having taken decisions like this using their discretionary powers after studying the matters under their consideration,” he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Vijayan faction retailated by getting senior ministers such as Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, P K Srimathi and M A Baby to petition the leadership against the chief minister. These leaders are learnt to have said that it was impossible to work under Mr Achuthanandan, “who has made it a habit to defy the party”.

The chief minister’s stand is certain to add to the embarrassment to the central leadership of the party, which is desperately trying to save its prominent Kerala leader. The CPM politbureau had described the governor’s refusal to accept the state government’s recommendation as “unfortunate” while state home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had said on Tuesday that it was a breach of constitutional norms.

But, Mr Achuthanandan refused to toe this line. “I don’t consider it surprising. There have also been observations of the Supreme Court (defending governors) in similar situations,” he said when asked if the governor had violated constitutional norms as alleged by his party leaders in the state.

This was the first time the chief minister reacted to the governor’s sanction which was given directly to CBI on Sunday, a month after the state Cabinet recommended that the governor should not give his nod. His refusal to oppose the governor’s move comes at a time when his party colleagues are increasingly rallying around Mr Vijayan. The state home minister had taken exception to the governor giving the sanction for the prosecution without informing the state government.

”The governor has created a serious constitutional issue by failing to maintain the relationship expected between him and the state government,” he had said. Another minister in his Cabinet M A Baby said there was no need for Mr Vijayan to step down from the top party post. The politbureau had issued a statement saying the party will fight the case “politically and legally”.

Though Mr Achuthanandan held the view that his bete noire should face prosecution, he was outnumbered by Mr Vijayan’s loyalists. The chief minister has been saying that the Lavalin issue, involving awarding of a contract to a Canadian firm for renovation of three hydro-power stations in Idukki district when Mr Vijayan was electricity minister in 1998, will be discussed in the party committee. The June 19 meeting of the politbureau in the Capital will discuss the issue.