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 party leader Pirappancode Murali.
From candidate selection to campaign scene, Nair had tried to create hurdles and transfer party votes to UDF candidate CK Seetharam, Murali says in his autobiography ‘Ente Communist Yathrayile Porattangal’ that is being serialised in the literary magazine ‘Prasadhakan’.
The veteran leader had won the 1996 polls from Vamanapuram, overcoming all odds. While Murali is known as a confidant of V S Achuthanandan, Krishnan Nair is a trusted lieutenant of Pinarayi Vijayan. Murali recalls that the name of senior leader Suseela Gopalan was proposed by the state committee for the constituency in the first round.
"I had high regards for her but I didn’t see her as a suitable candidate for Vamanapuram. I proposed student leader Geena Kumari, but she hadn’t attained the legal age to contest. Comrades Anathalavattom Anandan and Kadakampally Surendran proposed my name," he says in the autobiography.
Since 1980, Koliyakode had represented the constituency continuously and a change of candidature was required as Koliyakode was dismissed from the party as part of a 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, Koliyakode 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 V S Achuthanandan to AKG Centre and was directed to contest from Vamanapuram. "You will win for sure. Even if you fail, that is not something new for us," the book quotes VS as telling 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 the defeat of him. "Kallara panchayat president MG 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 MG 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 6386 votes alleged that his opponent Advocate CK Seetharam of JSS came to the poll scene after Krishnan Nair visiting JSS supremo KR Gouri and promising their support if Seetharam was fielded against him.