Party General Secretary Prakash Karat concluded that the boycott of the conference by Achuthanandan was a serious mistake and wanted him to return to the meet.
The tussle between CPM central committee veteran V S Achuthanandan and the party’s Kerala unit led by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has reached yet another flashpoint, with the former boycotting an ongoing party state conference in Alappuzha, leaving for Thiruvanthapuram in a huff and rejecting a politburo ultimatum that he should return.
The party leadership, which met on Sunday, resolved not to give in again to the frequent rebel, who is now 92. Party general secretary Prakash Karat telephoned Achuthanandan to tell him that the party has taken the view that he should attend the conference on Monday. Karat also conveyed the politburo view that Achuthanandan’s boycott of the conference amounted to grave indiscipline. But sources close to Achuthanandan said that he has decided, as of now, not to attend the
conference.
Achuthanandan had walked out of the conference on Friday amid an attack unleashed against him by delegates. He was reluctant to meet leaders for conciliatory talks. Sources close to him said he had set three conditions — that the party sack two local leaders convicted in the murder of rebel leader T P Chandrsekharan in 2012; that it withdraw a secretariat resolution that said he had “stooped to an anti-party mentality”; that it remove damaging references against him from an organisational report.
After it became clear that the party wouldn’t yield, Achuthanandan left Alappuzha at 4 am, without informing even his closest aides. Party leaders and delegates at the conference woke up on Sunday to learn from media reports that the veteran leader had boycotted the conference, which is being held in his hometown.
On Sunday afternoon, politburo members attending the conference met and decided that the issues raised by Achuthanandan would be discussed only at a full quorum of the politburo and the central committee. They rejected Achuthanandan’s demand for an immediate resolution.
Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the party would not stand for bargaining. “The party is ready to hear what he (Achuthanandan) has to say but he has to attend the conference first. Nobody is above the party,’’ Balakrishnan said.
Sources said state leaders have complained that Achuthanandan has been getting away with acting like a maverick only because central leaders have come to his rescue whenever he has rebelled in the past. This time, state leaders say, the veteran should not be given any more chances as he has “squandered all his opportunities to transform himself into a disciplined party worker”.
Achuthanandan has a history of shifting the focus towards himself whenever the party has had crucial issues to discuss. During a byelection to Neyyattinkara assembly seat in 2012, Achuthanadan chose the day of polling to visit the house of rebel leader T P Chandrasekharan, bringing all the attention on himself.
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Veteran Marxist leader Berlin Kunhanathan Nair, who is close to Achuthanandan, said, “At this stage, I see no room for a compromise.”
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.
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Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.
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Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.
Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.
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Party General Secretary Prakash Karat concluded that the boycott of the conference by Achuthanandan was a serious mistake and wanted him to return to the meet.
