Pinarayi for CM, `Kerala Castro' consolation for VS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The face of CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan was a study in stoicism when, at a press conference on Friday evening, his party's general secretary Sitaram Yechury anointed him 'Kerala Castro'.
The accolade, much deserved many would say , followed Yechury's announcement of the more important matter at hand: He announced the decision to propose the name of Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan as parliamentary party leader of CPM and thus the CM-designate of the LDF. VS, as the whole world knew, considered himself very much in contention for chief ministership.

Finally, it was the party that scored. VS's presence at the news conference convened by Yechury to announce the decision of the CPM state committee was a great relief to the party leadership which, till Thursday , had wracked its collective brain on how to resolve the leadership issue.

The selection of Pinarayi as leader was smoother than expected as there was none to advocate VS in the state secretariat and state committee. VS loyalist Pirappancode Murali is learnt to have suggested that VS should be given at least a year as CM but there were no supporters for that argument.

It is reliably learnt that Yechury and former general secretary Prakash Karat, while conveying the decision of the state secretariat to propose Pinarayi's name as leader, offered VS an equivalent post of cabinet rank once the government was sworn in.

The duo told VS that his age and health would be a problem to discharge the duties of CM.The veteran didn't show any enthusiasm on that offer and is learnt to have conveyed to them that he was not interested. Later, as requested by Yechury , VS at tended the state committee meeting in his capacity as special invitee to the central committee and the news conference to announce Pinarayi's name.

Yechury thanked the Kerala party for staying united during the campaign and specially offered his regards for the `big role' played by VS in leading the campaign. By speaking about the role VS would play in future, Yechury said in the international communist movement he only found a parallel in Cuba where Fidel Castro is playing the role of philosopher and mentor of the communist government. “Like Castro, VS will play an advisor's role here“, Yechury told reporters.