THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s not for the first time that CPM Kannur firebrand leader P Jayarajan has raised an allegation against his party colleague E P Jayarajan. In 2019 when Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was the state secretary, P Jayarajan had raised serious charges of illegal acquisition of properties along with other irregularities against E P Jayarajan, who was then the number two in Pinarayi cabinet, at the CPM Kannur district secretariat meeting.
Although an allegation against such a senior leader, who is a member of both the state and central committees should be raised or submitted in writing before the state committee, P Jayarajan, for some strange reason chose to raise the charges at the district secretariat meet. Besides Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, E P Jayarajan was also present at the district secretariat meeting.
“At the time, he first directly approached Kodiyeri,” a leader told TNIE on condition of anonymity. “P Jayarajan pointed out the serious charges that were raised from different quarters against E P Jayarajan’s so-called anti-party activities,” he said. Later, as directed by Kodiyeri, P Jayarajan raised the allegation in the committee, in EP Jayarajan’s presence. Sources said Kodiyeri then asked P Jayarajan to submit the allegation in writing.
Curiously a month after the district secretariat meeting, a sexual harassment allegation came up against Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Binoy Kodiyeri. It is yet unknown why P Jayarajan chose to raise the allegation at the district secretariat meeting and Kodiyeri allowing it in the first place. Some leaders point out that raising such an allegation in a lower committee would appear unbelievable to the public so even if the news was leaked to the media, the leadership would be able to dismiss the same.
Now three years later, P Jayarajan has raised the allegation again when a new state secretary - M V Govindan - is at the helm. In the three years, the CPM’s inner party equations have undergone a sea change. Like P Jayarajan, E P Jayarajan too is now a wounded soul. Although he is the LDF convenor, party inner sources said E P Jayarajan wanted to be the state secretary after the demise of Kodiyeri. There are also rumours that he may retire from active politics.
On the other hand, P Jayarajan is emerging as an anti-corruption crusader within the party. With the new move, his popularity among party cadres has gone up. He has always kept a clean slate in financial affairs and unlike many of his counterparts, he is devoid of any nepotism charges. The only charge that has cast a shadow over him was his alleged role in political killing.
In a way it’s a do-or-die battle for P Jayarajan who has been sidelined after the last parliamentary election. The party deputed him as the vice-chairman of Kerala Khadi Board, a comparatively low-profile institution.