CPM Moves To Cap Mutiny

P K SURENDRAN / TNN / Mar 25, 2006, 00:27 IST

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CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said the politburo reviewed the situation and decided to field Achuthanandan.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a reversal of its earlier decision, a special meeting of CPM politburo here on Friday allowed senior Marxist V S Achuthanandan to contest the Kerala assembly polls, a move to cap a potential mutiny in the cadre-based party.
This is the first time in the recent history that the CPM politburo reverted its own decision. Announcing the decision CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said the politburo reviewed the situation and decided to field Achuthanandan.
Friday's decision is seen a clear victory for Achuthanandan, who is widely seen as an orthodox Marxist against the liberal trend of CPM today.
"After the last state committee meeting on March 15-16, the politburo met in Delhi and resolved to keep both state secretary Pinarai Vijayan and opposition leader Achuthanandan off the fray.

On Friday, the politburo met the state committee leaders and state secretariat again and decided to reconsider the decision because of some confusion and subsequent reaction created among some people in our party.
Accordingly, Achuthanandan will contest the elections. Our party list is getting ready at the very moment," Karat said.
CPM had faced an unprecedented revolt following the politburo decision to disallow Achuthandanan contesting elections. He is seriously viewed as the chief ministerial candidate if the Left Democratic Front (LDF) headed by CPM wins the polls scheduled for April-May.

There has been a simmering rivalry between Achuthanandan of southern Kerala and Pinarai Vijayan of Malabar for the leadership of the party. Since both have been canvassing hard for the possible chief ministerial position, the politburo thought it prudent to keep off the two from the fray.
The question as to who should be the chief minister would be decided after the elections as that had been the general practice in the party, Karat said.

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