Vijayan juggernaut rolls on as CPM meet ends

Significantly, VS did not make a single reference to any of his pet peeves about being done in by his factional rivals, about which he had personally complained to the party national leadership last fortnight. While the Vijayan faction ensured that its supporters made up most of the party’s new 84-member state committee, including 11 new faces. The elections were, predictably, “unanimous”, and Vijayan asserted that the Kerala party would not have even the remnants of factionalism from now on, thanks to the efforts of the central leadership and local unity efforts.

Vijayan said the VS Achuthanandan government did perform well on many fronts, but would now do a lot more to fulfill popular aspirations. Later, addressing the valedictory session, Karat said the successful conduct of the state conference has betrayed the media allegations that the Kerala party was in a factional crisis and that the party will now surge forward under the joint leadership of VS and Vijayan.

In his speech, Karat reminded the cadre that it was the CPM and the Left that stopped US multinationals like Walmart from entering India and destroying the livelihoods of millions of small traders. “We need to stop Indian retail giants like Reliance too,” Karat said. He announced that the CPM will join other secular parties to stage a countrywide protest against the petroleum price hike.