Party shows the door to VS men

The CPI(M) state committee on Tuesday decided to remove Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan’s three advisors...

The CPI(M) state committee on Tuesday decided to remove Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan’s three advisors, whom the party had identified as the remaining members of a “coterie” remote-controlling the Marxist veteran. The committee also snubbed Achuthanandan’s demand for sacking his private secretary and CPI(M) leader S Rajendran, who had recently crossed over to the rival camp led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

With the ouster of IT advisor C M Joseph Mathew and senior government pleader D Anil Kumar, the party has successfully completed a cleansing process which began with the sacking of Achuthanandan’s conscience-keeper K M Shajahan in 2005. By forcing to live with Rajendran and part with Joseph and Anil Kumar, the party has virtually made Achuthanandan submissive. Last week, the party secretariat had asked the CM to sever his ties with the IT man and the advocate. Besides the duo, Real Admiral B R Menon (retd), who has been government advisor on inland navigation, would also be shown the door.

In fact, Achuthanandan had sought Rajandran’s removal as a quid pro quo for dumping the IT man and the advocate. But, the state committee, dominated by the Pinarayi faction, did not budge. Living with an “untrustworthy secretary” would make the going tough for Achuthanandan.

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Party sources said Anil Kumar’s removal was a major victory for the real estate mafia in Munnar. Anil Kumar had put a strong case for recovering the revenue land usurped by the real estate lobby. After the Munnar eviction, several resort owners, whose properties were demolished last year, had moved the High Court with the tacit support of the political leadership. Anil Kumar’s exit may lead to the Government cases collapsing in court. In the long run, the Government would be forced to give compensation for the demolished resorts.

Mathew had been targeted by the Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem, after the former tried to expose the Cyber City project as a real estate venture, contrary to the claims of the minister. He had also played a crucial role in downsizing the real estate interest of SEZ developers in Kerala, while the Pinarayi faction wanted to give a free hand for the investors.

Inland navigation advisor Menon had been recently suspended after he was caught for immoral traffic. But he was reinstated by Achuthanandan on the ground that the former was trapped by the sand mafia, which wanted to make a windfall during drudging of the national water ways in Kerala. Party sources said the reinstatement had tarnished the image of the Government, especially when Achuthanandan claims to fighting against the sex mafia.

But, those who support Menon said CPI(M) had appointed party leader T P Dasan as the chairman of Kerala Sports Council, despite his name figuring in a sex racket.