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Rift in Kerala CPM back in limelight

Trivandrum - Pinarayi Vijayan nominated to lead state-wide march in an indication that he could be a CM candidate.

Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has sought to quell speculations over the party's chief ministerial candidate for the assembly polls to be held in April, 2106 by selecting politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan as captain of the state-wide march the party is undertaking ahead of the election.
The selection was made by party's state secretariat at its meeting here on Saturday. The CPM state committee will decide the name of the march and the participants. The march to be taken out from Kasargod to Trivandrum from January 15 to February 15 will cover all the 140 Assembly segments.
The decision is considered significant in the light of strong demand from the party's second largest partner, Communist Party of India (CPI), to make nonagenarian leader V S Achuthanandan as the chief ministerial candidate. Both state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Vijayan had dismissed the demand saying it was an internal matter of the CPM.
Achuthanandan, who headed the last LDF government between 2006 and 2011, had hinted at his willingness to lead the coalition once again by stating that he will go by the decision of the party and the people. The demand for projecting him as the chief ministerial candidate had gained strength after the LDF made impressive gains in the local body polls in October this year under his leadership.
Political observers feel that the state secretariat may have decided to select Vijayan as the captain of the march to make the path safe for Vijayan, who had relinquished the post of the state secretary in February this year. Soon after that the Kannur lobby in the party had declared him as the chief ministerial candidate.
The selection of Vijayan as the captain of the march is a deviation from the tradition followed by the party so far. Normally, such marches are led by the either the party secretary or the opposition leader. Balakrishnan, who belongs to the Kannur lobby, may have opted out to make the path clear for Vijayan.
Political observers believe that the development could lead to new polarisation in the organisation. A strong section of the party's rank file wants Achuthanandan to lead the polls as he is currently the party's tallest mass leader. Current party all-India general secretary Sitaram Yechury is also confident of his ability to carry people with him.
The state leadership, which is dominated by the Kannur lobby, was not in favour of Achuthanandan leading the 2006 Assembly election. The state unit relented only after the central leadership intervened in favour of Achuthanandan.
news@khaleejtimes.com
 

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