New Delhi:
CPM has triggered a controversy in Kerala by fielding a candidate with anti-Left credentials who has been booked for alleged fraud to the tune of Rs 11 crore. TV journalist
MV Nikesh Kumar
is the party's candidate from
Azhikode
.
Aware of the resentment and embarrassment that the choice has caused, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "Nothing has been finalised yet. We have established a principle on how selection should be done. We can intervene once the list is finalised." He refused to talk about Kumar, saying opinions were being sought on each candidate from the district and constituency committees.
But Kumar is no ordinary candidate, and striking his name off the list could prove an uphill task for the party brass since he enjoys the backing of CPM strongman Pinarayi Vijayan. Many in the party say the choice of Kumar and even Veena George, an anchor in the same TV channel fielded from Aranmula, has come as a disappointment to the party cadre which feels let down by outsiders with dubious distinction.
Kumar, it is being pointed out, is the son of MV Raghvan, a CPM rebel who became a minister in the Congress-led UDF. Raghvan is held responsible for the Koothuparampu firing in November 1994 in which five members of Democratic Youth Federation of India were killed. Kumar himself was a member of Congress' student outfit, and even became the chairman of Mar Ivanios College Students' Union by defeating an SFI candidate.