12 CPM activists from Neeleswaram suspended for pro-VS demonstrations

Kanhangad: The CPM Neeleswaram area committee has decided to suspend 12 party members who held demonstrations to protest against denial of ticket to VS Achuthanandan to contest the Assembly polls.12 branch committee members from Neeleswarm, Madikkai and Parappu local would be suspended. Earlier, VS Achuthanandan had voiced his protest against suspension of 8 persons, including the son of K Kunjiraman MLA and said that there won't be any more suspensions.

V S Achuthanandan has come under attack in the party's state unit for questioning action taken against the cadre who opposed denial of ticket to him to contest the Assembly polls.


The CPI(M) state secretariat, dominated by the faction loyal to state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, took a serious view of the octogenarian leader's act of openly questioning the party's decision. A party communique issued last evening said

Achuthanandan's statement supporting the cadre who held demonstrations in different parts of the state flouting organisational discipline could only be seen seriously as it was capable of creating confusion among the rank and file. Before the Assembly polls in April, the rival faction had reportedly made a move to deny Achuthanandan another chance to contest. As the news spread, his supporters took out marches in many parts of the state denouncing the move. The party later reversed its decision to deny ticket to Achuthanandan, apparently under pressure from the ranks and the central leadership, and he scored a hattrick win from the red bastion Malampuzha in Palakkad district.

Significantly, the current bout of factional feud in CPI(M) in Kerala has begun when the triennial elections in various tiers of the party are about to start. The organisational meetings and elections starting from the local committee level will culminate with the party congress to be held in Kozhikode in April 2012. The last party elections in Kerala were marred by factional tussles in many places, mostly polarised between the groups loyal to Achuthanandan and Vijayan .Though Achuthanandan is seen as the most popular Marxist leader in Kerala, his grip over party apparatus had weakened considerably after the last party polls.


Despite being the senior most leader of the Indian Communist movement, he was removed from the Politburo about two years back for taking anti-party position on issues with direct bearing on the Kerala unit. Interestingly, the state secretariat's open chiding of Achuthanandan came within days of his visit to expelled party leader 'Berlin' Kunhananthan Nair in Kannur, ignoring the party restraint. Causing embarrassment to the party leadership, Achuthanandan openly commented that he had been restrained from sharing a meal with Nair, who was expelled from the party in 2005 after incurring the wrath of the Vijayan faction.

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