CPM tightrope: Vijayan stays,VS can decide on CBI

The CPI(M) Politburo on Saturday forced the warring V S Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan factions to arrive at a temporary truce on the SNC Lavalin issue.

While the Politburo backed Vijayan to the hilt,it ruled that he need not resign but decided that the Chief Minister can take a decision on the prosecution of Vijayan as sought by the CBI. The Politburo said the decision to go ahead with the deal had the partys approval but gave indications that it was ready to consider the matter again after the elections.

The idea is to avert a conflict before the Lok Sabha elections and sources said it was essentially a time-buying exercise. The Politburo,which discussed the issue in detail,gave Achuthanandan a reprieve for openly defying the party line but sternly asked him not to make any comments to the media which went against the PB decision. Although a truce has been arrived at,it is seen as a setback for the Chief Minister,who had been demanding immediate removal of Vijayan from the post of state secretary.

The day-long meeting saw Achuthanandan making an unsuccessful attempt to establish that the decision to go ahead with the deal did not have the party state secretariats approval. Vijayan,however,complained that the Chief Minister was using the controversy to settle personal scores. VS is likely to meet the media after reaching Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Sources said the Politburo left it to the Chief Minister to perform his constitutional duties,that is taking a decision on the plea for prosecution of Vijayan,but he will have to toe the party line till elections. The matter would be considered again after the elections,he was assured.

A division Bench of the Kerala High Court had earlier this week left it to the state Government to take the decision on prosecuting Vijayan and two officials and had given the Government three months time for this.

As a Chief Minister,he (Achuthanandan) has to do certain things. He will explain what he has to do as the Chief Minister. As far as the party is concerned,a decision has been taken by the Politburo,he is a member of the Politburo and the decision is applicable to all, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters after the meeting.

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On the demand for Vijayans resignation,Karat said,If he had been an MLA,MP or minister,we would have asked him to step down. We would have been the first to ask. The CPI(M) has consistently held that any person holding public office should step down if they face prosecution by the CBI. This does not apply to Vijayan as he is not a minister or holding any public office.