The three-day CPM Central Committee meet, scheduled to begin on January 6 in Thiruvananthapuram, is likely to initiate disciplinary action against four leaders from the state.
A clear picture on whether action is necessary will emerge at the January 5 politburo meeting.
E. P. Jayarajan, M. M. Mani, V. S. Achuthanandan and P. K. Sreemathy, are the leaders who might face disciplinary action. Of the four, all except Mani are Central Committee members.
Interestingly, voices for and against the leaders—except in the case of Sreemathy—are already heard loud and clear.
While Jayarajan had to quit the Pinarayi Vijayan-led cabinet in the state on charges of nepotism and corruption, an adverse order from a lower court had put Mani, who recently made a minister, in the dock.
Achuthanandan has been accused of repeatedly breaching the party discipline, and Sreemathy had repeated the mistake of appointing her relatives in key posts.
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had on October 14 clarified that the state secretariat of the party and politburo would decide on the disciplinary action against Jayarajan.
The Karat faction, however, has been of the view that ousting him from the cabinet itself was a disciplinary action, and further punishment was not required.
Interestingly, the earlier argument against Jayarajan apparently has now become weaker. It was earlier argued that taking away the ministerial berth from him was not enough and it was merely a technicality. With the demand for action against Jayarajan becoming weaker, rumors has it that someone powerful had intervened on his behalf.
The party had initiated an internal probe after accusations of nepotism were leveled against Jayarajan.
Despite the probe reportedly unearthing evidences of corruption, the argument against further action should be read with a statement by a leader that “you know nothing about the party.”
The powerful Pinarayi (Karat) faction in the party is against further action against Jayarajan. They are also backing Mani.
The group, however, seeks action against Achuthanandan. The Yechury camp and the members from Bengal are not keen on acting against the veteran Marxist.
Even as factions fight for and against the three leaders, Sreemathy has left out in the cold, with little intra-party support.
Yechury had left the decision on Mani to the state leadership, giving a hint to the Kerala unit to reconsider its decision favoring the minister.
The CPM general secretary feels that Mani should step down on political moral grounds, since the party had several times demanded the resignation of prime minister Narendra Modi on similar grounds.
The Karat faction, however, supports Mani on technical grounds: no change in the case, which was registered based only on his speech. The group also pointed out that the court had rejected only his discharge petition, which could be challenged in a higher court.
It has also been argued that the case existed when Mani contested the polls and when he was inducted into the cabinet.
The counter argument is equally strong. Those seeking Mani’s scalp argue that such technicalities are not considered while seeking others’ resignation, especially when it was sought by the Yechury camp.
The Mani issue, if the state leadership did not make an appropriate decision, will go to the politburo and the central committee.
A politburo commission has found Achuthanandan guilty and the punishment is pending.
Yechury, considered close to Achuthanandan, is against initiating action against the nonagenarian, holding the post of Reforms Committee chairman with cabinet rank. He feels that such an action will stoke another controversy.
To avoid stern action against Achuthanandan, except a censure, Yechury and the veteran leader will have to go soft on Jayarajan and Mani.
Sreemathy, meanwhile, is firm that she has not done anything wrong. She has explained it at length to several politburo members, including Yechury. Yet, it is not sure if her explanations were satisfactory.
The leadership believes that Sreemathy repeated the same mistake by successfully seeking an appointment for her son. Pinarayi, too, is of the opinion that her act had tainted the party.
