CPM descend continues as chargesheet looms for secy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From the legendary heights of being the first state in the world where a communist government came to power through democratic elections to the point when its Kerala state secretary is facing prosecution in a corruption case, the CPM has descended some way.

Less than a month ago, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala had the formidable exterior of holding 18 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state, with the CPM being all-powerful within the front, snuffing out any differing voice from coalition members.

Just a few weeks later, that citadel presents a picture of woe, with the only difficulty being in assessing whether the party���s state secretary in Kerala facing prosecution is a bigger catastrophe than its defeat at the hands of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

With Kerala governor R S Gavai sanctioning prosecution of CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, observers here say that the state CPM faces tall odds to regain its old glory, considering the simmering problems within the party that has now been compounded by the looming prosecution of the state secretary.

Some consolation came by for the CPM today when justice V R Krishna Iyer remarked that the governor���s decision to overrule the cabinet recommendation not to prosecute Mr Vijayan amounted to undermining democratic and constitutional traditions.

But analysts say that the SNC Lavalin case, in which Pinarayi Vijayan is one of 11 accused, is but the latest setback for the party which has been facing internal turmoil for years, with a polarization of the cadres between the official faction identified with Mr Vijayan and the opposite camp associated with chief minister V S Achuthanandan.

The internal bickering is considered to have been a causative factor for CPM���s setback in the Lok Sabha poll, and its big brother attitude towards coalition members including CPI, RSP and the Janata Dal is considered to have weakened the coalition set-up.

A climb back from the present depths could take two forms, say analysts ��� with better governance and more development projects on the ground, and more camaraderie among the comrades.

Neither of that appears an immediate possibility as projects like the SmartCity in Kochi and the Vizhinjam project appear as distant as ever, and a buzz in the air about a possible shake-up in leadership positions.