THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The absence of tall leaders like Oommen Chandy, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Kanam Rajendran is being felt more by the middle and lower rungs of party activists, who viewed these departed leaders as deft tacticians. The onus is now on the current leadership to ensure that their absence does not affect their respective parties’ prospects in the upcoming general election.
Two-time chief minister Chandy, who died last July, was known for his leadership and diplomatic skills, strategic acumen, bipartisan attitude and, above all, empathy for the needy and downtrodden. In the run-up to the previous election in 2019, there were numerous occasions when he set the trend at campaign rallies and public programmes. Many a time, local committees struggled to keep pace with him. With his unkempt hair blowing in the breeze, Chandy’s short and crisp speeches left crowds enthralled. There was never a dull moment for those who thronged to listen to him.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan recalls that Chandy, Kodiyeri and Kanam were tall leaders in their own right. “We are trying to overcome Chandy’s absence through collective leadership. My responsibility is to coordinate everything. We have been holding consultations with stakeholders on an hourly basis, which has helped us overcome the vacuum Chandy’s absence has left. We finalised our candidates without much fracas. Of course, my responsibilities have increased. A new style of functioning was adopted by the party to ensure that decisions are taken collectively,” Satheesan told TNIE.
Former CPM secretary Kodiyeri’s political sharpness was on view in returning the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government back to power in 2021. With his inimitable style of functioning and trademark smile, he helped the CPM brave every storm that came its way. With his no-nonsense attitude, Kodiyeri set an example by stepping down from the secretaryship when his son Bineesh was embroiled in multiple cases.
There are many in the party who still vouch for Kodiyeri’s astuteness as a crisis manager and believe he would have made a difference in deflecting the current controversies weighing down the party.
CPM central secretariat leader A K Balan echoed Satheesan’s sentiments, saying collective leadership helped the party to overcome Kodiyeri’s absence.
“The Congress may not be able to tide over Oommen Chandy’s absence. But our organisational strength has helped us overcome the void left by Kodiyeri. But we will never be able to replace a leader of his stature,” Balan told TNIE.
If Chandy and Kodiyeri were left enervated by health issues, Kanam had no such concerns. He was confident of returning as CPI secretary after three months of medical leave and was in the process of girding the party for the LS election. His death, from cardiac arrest, came as a shock to everyone. At the age of 25, it was Kanam’s leadership qualities that saw him become one of the youngest members of CPI state secretariat.
A two-time MLA, Kanam’s pragmatic approach to dealing with conflicts won him admirers within the LDF. He become the second most powerful leader in the Left camp, after Pinarayi Vijayan.
Kanam talked of his comeback, but fate had other plans, says Binoy Viswam, who succeeded him as CPI state secretary.
“I have had the privilege to witness party secretaries, right from N E Balaram, from close quarters. Without knowing what the future held for me, I associated myself with them. When Kanam decided to proceed on medical leave, he informed me of his desire to write to the central leadership recommending my name as stand-in secretary. I replied that it won’t be required as I was confident of Kanam returning to active politics. The void left by Kanam will be hard to fill. But I’m confident of overcoming the challenge in the upcoming election,” said Viswam.
The last few months also saw the demise of CPM veteran Anathalavattom Anandan and BJP leader P P Mukundan. An undisputed leader of coir workers, Anathalavattom played a significant role in the southern constituencies, including Attingal, Chirayinkeezhu and Varkala. Intra-party politics may have left Mukundan sidelined in the BJP over the last several years, but he still retained his clout within the party and the Sangh parivar.
Oommen Chandy
The two-time chief minister was the man for all seasons for the Congress. His political acumen and diplomatic skills had helped the Congress tide over many a crises.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
With his inimitable style of functioning and trademark smile, the former state secretary helped the CPM brave every storm that came its way.
Kanam Rajendran
The two-time MLA’s pragmatic approach to dealing with conflicts and leadership qualities won him many admirers.