Karat tries to restore order to unit

The CPI(M) is all set to begin its crucial series of branch-level conferences next month leading to the state conference. With the two leaders still showing no signs of backing off even after both were suspended from the Politburo, and preparing to have a go at each other at the conferences, Karat on Friday pushed a stern code of conduct.

CPI(M) sources said the Politburo code, which will be endorsed by the party state committee meet on Saturday and Sunday, is three-pronged.

The code warns that any attempt to keep away those with “differences of opinion” from the branch meetings would be taken as anti-party activity.

The code also asserts that discussions of the “unhealthy” kind, and personal attacks, should be strictly avoided.

Obviously not wanting to leave things entirely to the official faction for holding the conferences, Karat’s third canon says a mechanism will be put in place to oversee the conduct of the conferences. But it does not spell out if that meant the Politburo will play a more proactive role in conducting the conferences.

The meet took its time trying to deal with the issue of party newspaper Desabhimani taking Rs 2 crore from a tainted lottery operator still in hiding, trailing court cases. E P Jayarajan, Central Committee member and a close lieutenant of state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, is the General Manager of the newspaper. At the secretariat meeting Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan put up a probe report that said Jayarajan had nothing to do with the deal, and put the blame on his deputy, K Venugopal, who stands purged from the party for allegedly taking a Rs 1-crore bribe from a shady finance company.

A chorus of protest from the VS men and four of the Pinarayi camp’s senior men—P Karunakaran, A K Balan, Vaikom Vishwan and M V Govindan—joined the din. The secretariat soon decided to modify the report to read that though Jayarajan had no malafide intent, he was morally responsible for the happening.