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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The factionalism in the CPI district leadership has reached a saturation point, with a section of local leaders not renewing the party membership in protest against the district-state leadership’s apathy in dissolving the organisational issues. The BJP and CPM district leadership has started sending hints to the dissident leaders and party workers in the wake of the upcoming local self-government election.
In retaliation to the dissident activity, CPI’s Kazhakoottam mandalam committee has ousted its member and Attipra local committee (LC) secretary Attipra Ashokan from the primary membership of the party.
The organisational issue began with the Attipra local committees’ decision to demote its assistant LC secretary Ramlal allegedly for not being active in the organisational activities. However, a section of leaders claimed that the action was premeditated as the district leadership had reached a consensus with Ramlal before the Lok Sabha elections. Ramlal stayed away from the activities in protest against the party’s decision to not make put him in-charge in the absence of Ashokan, who took leave for his daughter’s marriage.
“The decision to demote him was taken in a local committee meeting in which only three members participated instead of nine. I had approached V P Unnikrishnan, who is in charge of the constituency, but it didn’t turn fruitful. Later, I wrote a letter to district secretary Mangode Radhakrishnan and the state secretary Binoy Viswam, but to no avail.” Ashokan alleged that though he had a close relationship with Binoy when the former was the chief circulation manager of party mouthpiece Janayugam and later the editor, the state secretary took no action.
In protest against the inaction of the leadership, Ashokan and five other mandalam committee members sent a letter to the state secretary informing him of their decision to not review the membership of the party for the year 2024-25.
Names of former PSC examination controller N Narayana Sharma, Ajayakumar, Biju K V, Pangapara Mohana and Surendran have been included in the letter along with Ashokan’s.
In the letter, Ashokan alleged that even though the leaders had informed the party that they were not renewing the membership, they did not say that they would leave the CPI.
“However, the leadership had asked for an explanation for not taking disciplinary action. This is an autocratic decision,” the letter said. It also alleged that funds are being collected for transfer and appointment as contingent employees at Thiruvananthapuram corporation. “There is also no receipt for the election fund,” it said.
Incidentally, Ashokan was a CPM local leader and left the party when V S Achuthanandan- Pinarayi Vijayan factionalism was at the helm.
Meanwhile, CPM Kazhakoottam area committee leadership has reportedly started discussions with the dissident CPI leaders as the former is aware that the withering away of Left workers would be catastrophic in the next local self-government and assembly elections.