Pinarayi's resignation may bring change in Kerala CPM

KOCHI: With the CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan all set to step down from the leadership position, political equations are set to change for the party in the coming days. The party will elect a new state secretary during its state conference scheduled to be held at Alappuza during February 20 to 23. For the party workers in the state, the leadership change will be total as there will be changes at the top level in the state and at the national level.CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who are completing their third term now, will step down making way for others.

Speaking to ET, a senior CPM leader said that Pinarayi Vijayan held the party together when it confronted factionalism. He took a stern stand against factionalism during his tenure as secretary. He had good organisational skills, he said.

CPM workers feel that the political equations within the party will change for the better in the coming days.

"But this is not because Pinarayi Vijayan is stepping down as party secretary," they said. Even otherwise the party had taken the decision to fight factionalism which was pulling it backwards.

The last decade was also marked by the strained relationship between the party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and V S Achuthananthan as the latter raised the banner of inner party revolt on many issues and challenged the party leadership.CPM workers feel that the party has got over such problems. "Now there are very few people in the party who approve of the ways of V S Achuthananthan," said a senior CPM leader.

Similarly the relation with allies like CPI is likely to improve in the days to come.This is not because there will be a change at the top of both the parties. But Pinarayi Vijayan too had his share of controversies.