KOLLAM: The CPM has dissolved its Karunagappally area committee following escalating internal factionalism.
The decision, made at a district secretariat meeting attended by party state secretary M V Govindan, comes in the wake of a protest march by rebel members to the committee office on Friday and a brawl during the Kulashekarapuram North local committee conference.
Following extensive discussions, it was decided to completely reorganise the Karunagappally area committee.
A seven-member ad hoc committee will be formed to oversee its operations, Govindan added. Govindan stated that the recent Karunagappally area committee conference exposed serious shortcomings, highlighting the committee’s inability to lead effectively.
Addressing the issue, Govindan acknowledged that internal conflicts within local committees had severely affected the party, asserting that such tendencies were unacceptable. However, he maintained that the Karunagappally issue was a localised one and did not reflect broader issues in the district.
“What happened in the Karunagappally conference was a wrong trend, and the current committee cannot lead the party. In Kollam district, 17 area conferences were completed smoothly, but a different picture emerged in Karunagappally."
"The party will not tolerate such behaviour. After serious discussion, it was decided to reconstitute the Karunagappally area committee entirely and form an ad hoc committee. Disciplinary actions will be initiated after examining the nature of protests,” Govindan said.
Factionalism in Karunagappally has been escalating, with several local conferences disrupted by disputes. The recent election process at the Kulashekarapuram North local conference ended up in physical altercations, leading to the detention of state committee members K Rajagopal and K Somaprasad.
Rebel factions have been particularly vocal accusing district committee member P R Vasanthan of running a ‘mafia’ that harmed the party in Karunagappally. The district leadership concluded that the ongoing factionalism and public protests had tarnished the party’s image. However, there was a view within the leadership that disciplinary actions should be taken cautiously, especially in view of the upcoming state conference.