Portfolio battle in Kerala

NEW DELHI: Mid tug-of-war over portfolios in the Kerala CPM, the Pinarayi Vijayan camp is likely to take over the vigilance department. However, chief minister V S Achuthanandan still has the leadership’s backing to keep key portfolios of information technology, Non-Resident Kerala Affairs (Norka) and planning with him.

The battle for the power portfolios within the faction-ridden Kerala unit of the party came up at the recently-concluded polit bureau meeting in Kolkata. While Mr Achuthanandan expressed resentment that there was an attempt to clip the wings of the chief minister by giving the crucial portfolios to the rival faction, Mr Vijayan said the chief minister had bagged the four portfolios, including vigilance which was part of the home portfolio, in defiance of the party decision.

As a peace formula, the polit bureau was of the view that the chief minister should give up vigilance, incidentally a department looking into corruption against some senior CPM leaders. The polit bureau also cited that both in West Bengal and Tripura, vigilance was part of the home ministry, a portfolio which is with Vijayan-loyalist Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.