THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPM leader and former MLA Koliyakode Krishnan Nair had pulled all plugs to ensure his defeat at Vamanapuram assembly constituency in 1996, alleged CPM leader Pirappancode Murali. From candidate selection to the campaign scene, Krishnan Nair had tried to create hurdles and transfer party votes to UDF candidate C K Seetharam, Murali says in his autobiography 'Ente Communist Yathrayile Porattangal' that is being serialised in the literary magazine 'Prasadhakan'.
Murali had been a state committee member till 2018 and was a district committee member till last year. The veteran leader had won the 1996 polls from Vamanapuram, overcoming all odds. Koliyakode Krishnan Nair was a member of the CPM state committee till March when he was excluded because of age factor. While Murali is known as a confidant of V S Achuthanandan in Thiruvananthapuram, Krishnan
Nair is a trusted lieutenant of CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Murali recalls that the name of senior leader Suseela Gopalan was proposed by the state committee for the constituency in the preliminary round. "I had high regards for Suseela Gopalan but I didn't see her as a suitable candidate for Vamanapuram in that circumstance. I proposed student leader Geena Kumari, but she hadn't attained the legal age to contest. Then I proposed Kallara Ramesan Nair. Comrades Anathalavattom Anandan and Kadakampally Surendran proposed my name," he says in the autobiography.
Since 1980, Koliyakode had represented the constituency continuously four times and a change of candidature was required as Koliyakode was dismissed from the party as part of disciplinary action the
previous year. But, he joined back as a primary member after CPM control commission allowed his appeal.
"With the help of a very senior leader, Krishnan Nair apprised state secretariat member Chadayan Govindan who was in charge of the district that my candidature was unanimously opposed by Venjarammoodu area committee. He also told Chadayan that he could make sure that Susheela Gopalan wins from Vamanapuram," writes Pirappancode Murali.
Later, Murali was summoned by VS Achuthanandan to AKG centre and directed to contest from Vamanapuram. "You will win for sure. Even if you fail, that is not something new for us," VS had told Murali.
Murali also recalls how he accidentally reached the residence of block panchayat president Sasikala at Pangode when Krishnan Nair had been convening a secret meeting to plan his defeat. "Kallara panchayat president M G Meenambika had flagged the district secretary of another meeting planned at her house. That is how the party became aware of Krishnan Nair's sabotage attempts," he recalls.
On the day of polling, Venjaramoodu area secretary Aliyadu Madhavan Pillai who was the chief election agent of Murali got admitted at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram as directed by Krishnan Nair to avoid work at polling booths, Murali writes.
Recalling the work of young DYFI and SFI leaders for him, Murali recalls the contribution of Mahila association state leader M G Meenambika. "That poor girl hasn't completed sentence for attending my campaign meetings yet. She is still being haunted," he writes.
The leader who won the poll by 6,386 votes alleged that his opponent Advocate C K Seetharam, of JSS, came to the poll scene after Krishnan Nair visited JSS supremo K R Gouri and promising their support if Seetharam was fielded against him.