CPI (M) to discuss Kerala 'disunity'

New Delhi, July 5 : The two-day CPI (M) Polit Bureau, that ends Sunday, was called to find a solution to the 'disunity' in its Kerala unit and the open turf war between its top leaders.

The meeting, here, is being attended by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and other senior leaders like S Ramachandran Pillai, Biman Bose, V S Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is not attending the meeting.

The extraordinary two-day meeting comes in the backdrop of intense factional fight in its Kerala unit where Chief Minister Achuthanandan and party state Secretary Vijayan are on a war path.

After the Central Committee meeting in June, Karat had said the high decision-making body had decided that the wranglings must be settled soon.

Both the Kerala factions have submitted complaints accusing each other before the Polit Bureau which are likely to be discussed in the meeting.

This is the second time in past five years that the Politburo is meeting to exclusively discuss Kerala issues. The first such meeting was held on 13th February 2005 in Kolkata.

The Kolkata meeting had come prior to Malappuram state conference of the party when factionalism was at the peak. The Politburo had then asked the factions led by Achuthanandan and Vijayan to bury the hatchet and work unitedly.

But two years later, both Achuthanandan and Vijayan were suspended from the Politburo for taking their fight out in the public domain. Their suspension was later revoked.

Achutanandan had come under attack at the CPI(M) Central Committee meeting in mid-June when his ministerial colleagues raised objection to his style of functioning.

Three ministers Thomas Isaac, M A Baby and P K Sreemati, known to be close to Vijayan, launched a no holds barred attack on the veteran leader. Isaac even demanded Achuthanandan's removal from the Chief Minister's post.

Achuthanandan said on Friday that it was for the party and people to decide whether he should continue in the post, reported DD News.

While Achutanandan seemingly favours removal of Vijayan as the CBI proceeds to prosecute him in the SNC-Lavalin graft case, he has come under growing attacks from within the party.

Achtanandan had reportedly demanded the removal of Vijayan from the post of state secretary in a meeting of Polit Bureau earlier.

--IBNS