THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM leadership has admitted before the state committee that mistakes were made in the selection of P K Shyamala and T I Madhusoodanan as candidates for the Taliparamba and Payyanur assembly constituencies respectively.
The state committee asked the leadership to revise the assembly election review report to reflect the errors, directing that only the amended version be presented at regional review meetings. The leadership has also decided to convene an extended meeting of the state committee in August.
In Taliparamba, the Kannur district committee had proposed the candidature of Shyamala, wife of state secretary M V Govindan. In Payyanur, district secretariat member Madhusoodanan entered the fray as the sitting MLA.
However, allegations of nepotism were raised against Shyamala’s candidature by district secretariat member T K Govindan, who then contested the election as an independent with UDF support and won.
In Payyanur, district committee member V Kunhikrishnan, who too emerged victorious as an independent, levelled allegations of misappropriation of the martyr’s and party office construction fund against Madhusoodanan. While the twin defeats in its traditional strongholds shook the CPM, the state secretariat had maintained in its review report that no mistake was committed in selecting the candidates.
The state committee, in an unusual development, proposed several rectifications to the assembly election review report approved by the state secretariat. “It is unusual for the state committee to suggest so many amendments to conclusions already reached by the state secretariat,” a CPM state secretariat member told TNIE.
Though minor corrections have been made following state committee discussions on earlier occasions, this is the first time major changes have been sought. During the two-day state committee meeting, which concluded on Monday, several members argued that the review report’s “self-criticism” lacked sharpness on issues such as the alleged communal remarks made by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan against minority communities.
They criticised what they described as the leadership’s soft approach towards Vellappally and maintained that his statements were communal in nature and targeted both Muslim and Christian minorities.
Some members reportedly said the party should criticise Vellappally more sharply and leave no room for compromise. M V Govindan said the leadership would make the necessary amendments in line with the views expressed during the discussion.
Members also demanded the CPM adopt a more uncompromising approach towards the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). They said the League’s communal politics and its campaign in association with Jamaat-e-Islami should be challenged more forcefully. They further stressed the party should adopt the same approach towards all forms of communalism.
Several leaders also criticised the state secretary’s style of functioning and his conduct during press conferences. Govindan reportedly acknowledged the criticism and said he would make changes to his style of functioning.
However, there was no direct criticism of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the discussions. Some leaders observed that Pinarayi had changed considerably after becoming the leader of opposition.
The Global Ayyappa Sangamam organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board during the previous LDF government’s tenure also came under criticism. Several leaders criticised former devaswom minister V N Vasavan for reading out a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath during the inauguration of the event.
‘Report lacks sharpness’
Several members argued that the report lacked sharpness on issues such as alleged communal remarks made by SNDP Yogam gen secy Vellappally Natesan against minority communities. They criticised what they described as the leadership’s soft approach towards Vellappally and maintained that his statements were communal in nature and targeted both Muslim & Christian minorities