THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With only three days remaining for commencement of its state conference, the CPI in Kerala is witnessing an unprecedented and intense factional feud. There are clear indications that it would not be easy for state secretary Kanam Rajendran to get a third term in office.
Anti-Kanam groups have forged a collective within the party and are set to take on the state secretary through an open contest. Sources confirmed that the K E Ismail faction is set to field Prakash Babu as candidate. In that case, it will be the first time in CPI’s history that an election is being held to the state secretary post.
The open revolt just three days before the state meet has put the party’s official leadership in a fix. It was Ismail who first fired a salvo two days ago. On Tuesday, senior leader C Divakaran too came down heavily on Kanam. Both veterans feel that strictly enforcing the age cap of 75 years is a mere cover up to oust them from the state council. No such decision can be enforced before the Party Congress, the highest decision-making body, gives its nod, they say.
Though the mandatory age cap is what they criticise, it’s clear that their ultimate target is Kanam. They plan to challenge the secretary by fielding Babu. The rebel faction calculates that it would be able to garner support from seven districts - Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Wayanad.
Nothing wrong in a fight, open for it: Kanam
In addition, they expect support from a section in the Kanam group that is unhappy with the ongoing developments. “It’s more of a fight to retain the glory, the party once had. Corruption and nepotism are now rampant in the party. The CPI has been reduced to a mere B team of the CPM. The party has lost its identity. Otherwise how can the CPI support the Lok Ayukta ordinance? No consultations or collective decision making has been happening.
Contest to the post of secretary is a move against the one-man show in the party,” said a prominent leader of the rebel faction. Both Divakaran and Ismail have openly stated that there’s nothing wrong in a contest. “It’s not the age, but whether they are healthy is what we should be looking at. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a leader who is below 75, but unable to travel to places like Wayanad?” asked a senior leader in an apparent reference to Kanam.
On the other hand, the official faction is gearing up for a fight, if necessary. Responding to Divakaran’s charges, Kanam has made it clear that he’s open for a fight. Terming it part of inner-party democracy, Kanam too said there’s nothing wrong in a contest.
“How can we refrain from enforcing the age cap at the state- level, after it has been strictly implemented at lower levels? Anyway if there’s a fight, the official faction has enough numbers to win hands down,” beamed a senior leader favouring Kanam. It was in 2012, after the demise of then state secretary C K Chandrappan that the CPI witnessed such fierce inner-party rebellion.