Mundur is turning out to be another Onchiyam where the CPM suffered humiliating reverses at the hands of party dissidents.
Rebellion came to the fore at the general body meeting of the CPM Mundur area committee, which was convened at the Municipal Town Hall here on Wednesday to report the decision of the CPM state secretariat. The official faction somersaulted on the demands of the rebels led by former Mundur area secretary P A Gokuldas which led to shouting and protest at the meeting attended by CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
According to an understanding reached earlier, Gokuldas was to be included in the area committee. It had also been agreed to make his nominee the new area secretary as they had a majority. The CPM state secretariat had also endorsed the decision.
But dashing all hopes of the rebels, Kodiyeri announced that the nominee of the official group, CPM district secretariat member P K Sudhakaran will continue as the Mundur area secretary. Gokuldas was also not included in the list of the members of the area committee.
Kodiyeri said CPM state secretariat member Elamaram Kareem will be deputed to inquire into the Mundur issue. Till his report was submitted, the status quo will continue.
Kodiyeri announced that CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan will address the Mundur area rally on October 5. When CPM district secretary C K Rajendran was called to speak, the majority of the members began to shout slogans and walk out of the hall. As Kodiyeri was leaving the venue, a section of the dissidents shouted slogans against him and CPM state secretariat member A K Balan. They demanded that Gokuldas be taken back in the area committee and Sudhakaran be replaced as promised.
It may be recalled that Kodiyeri had attended a meeting of the district committee and secretariat after the dissidents held a convention in Mundur. He along with Balan had also held talks at the PWD rest house here with Gokuldas, in which the agreements were thrashed out.
Gokuldas when contacted said that he did not wish to comment.