THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The humiliating assembly poll debacle appears to have jolted the Kerala CPM into introspection, with the party gearing up for significant organisational changes. While a changing of the guard is unlikely, at least until the next state conference, there is growing stridency in calls for a major shake-up of the state committee and secretariat, after the extended committee meetings in August.
The electoral setback has triggered realignments within the CPM, with leaders pushing for sweeping changes starting to regroup. The recent public criticism by party general secretary M A Baby and central committee member P Rajeeve is being viewed as the emergence of a new power axis within the party.
As demands for a leadership overhaul grow and state secretary M V Govindan comes under mounting pressure, the central leadership is moving to tighten its grip on the Kerala unit. In what is widely seen as a veiled swipe at Govindan over his wife’s candidature in Taliparamba, Baby reportedly remarked that had he been in a position to take the decision, he would have gone for someone other than a relative as candidate.
Notably, Pinarayi Vijayan himself stepped in to counter attempts to pin the blame for the party’s poor electoral performance on Govindan alone. Responding to questions on Baby’s remarks, the former chief minister made it clear that the CPM would not permit individuals to be singled out.
“The party conducted a detailed review of the electoral setback. That review did not hold any individual responsible for specific shortcomings,” Pinarayi said at a media briefing, in an indirect rebuttal of Baby’s criticism.
Sources said the CPM is in for an inevitable churn, with new power equations emerging. While Pinarayi continues to wield considerable influence, Govindan finds himself on a sticky wicket.
“If you notice, leaders like Baby, Thomas Isaac and Rajeeve have been vocal about the need for introspection. Both Govindan and Pinarayi faced criticism at most lower-level committee meetings. With a section of leaders pushing for sweeping changes, a new axis is taking shape within the party,” a senior leader from Thiruvananthapuram said.
“There is also growing demand for the Politburo to intervene and engineer a major reshuffle in the state committee and secretariat. How far that demand will translate into action, however, remains uncertain,” the leader said.
Calls within CPM for transparency in party affairs
In the wake of the poll debacle, a section within the CPM is rooting for greater transparency in party affairs. If it was more of a one-man show for over a decade, new alignments and voices are beginning to emerge. “In the past, even iconic leaders like EMS faced criticism in party committees and used to sit through such discussions.
That culture of open debate had largely faded in recent years. Going by the discussions at recent district and area committee meetings, internal debates appear to be making a comeback. Criticism now extends beyond Govindan; even Pinarayi is facing scrutiny.
The intensity of these discussions is likely to increase at the extended state committee meeting in August. However, it is unlikely to result in an immediate leadership change,” a central committee member said.
Even as criticism mounts against Govindan over perceived lapses, the leadership cannot entirely distance itself from decisions it collectively endorsed. A section within the leadership acknowledges this reality, lending greater significance to the demand for an extended committee meeting.
“Govindan can certainly be held accountable for what happened in Taliparamba, but all of us — especially those in the secretariat — share collective responsibility for the setback. Whether it was candidate selection, campaign messaging, or the failure to effectively counter certain media narratives, these were not individual decisions.
They reflect our shortcomings as well. That is why the extended committee meeting assumes such importance; it will be crucial in determining the party’s future,” a secretariat member admitted.
Though Pinarayi continues as a dominant force, signs of discontent against him are also beginning to surface.There are indications that a few CC members from the state were not in favour of making him leader of opposition. Sources said he could make way for K N Balagopal to take up the mantle after a year or two.
