Twist in tale: CPM brings back VS

The Politburo8217;s rare intervention, steamrolling the state CPIM leadership8217;s vigorous opposition to the Stalinist leader8217;s inclusion, could also mean a decisive sidelining of the Pinarayi Vijayan squad of liberals, supposedly upholding the Budhadeb-brand of Marxism, who control the party in Kerala. With Pinarayi Vijayan not contesting, Achuthanandan has effectively been made the party nominee for the Chief Minister8217;s job if the Left comes to power, although Karat reiterated today that the CM would be named only after the polls.

The CPIM State Committee meeting today saw a majority of its members pitching for Achuthanandan8217;s return to the poll scene, just as in its earlier meeting, which that Pinarayi Vijayan8217;s men had successfully overturned.

CPIM sources, however, say that the national leadership8217;s decision to stop the posture of leaving the issue up to the state leadership to decide, had more to do with the CBI probe under way into the Rs 100 crore SNC Lavalin scam that Pinarayi now faces from his earlier ministerial days. The party could get into serious trouble in Kerala if Vijayan, its state secretary, is implicated and if a vindictive Achuthanandan8212;the only other senior leader who can pull the party along8212;was out of the picture.

With the Left generally expected to win the Assembly poll and with Achuthanandan tipped to become the CM, the CPIM could be in for a drastic makeover in its approach to many issues. The 83-year-old Achuthanandan8217;s USP has always been his hardline stance, which he has often carried to extremes that have included opposing Microsoft training for Kerala school kids, taking up cudgels against a proposed hi-tech IT destination in Kochi, fighting Asian Development Bank loans and leading the campaign to boot out Coca Cola.