OJ's Corner - Reflections

The irony of politics

Chief Minister-designate V S Achuthanandan was persona non grata for CPM stalwarts,including a majority of the politburo members and State level leaders, after he had disregarded their advice not to field candidates for the State committee election of the party at its Palakkad conclave last year.

A lot of people and party cadres owing allegiance to the rival group led by Pinarayi Vijayan and others had written him off. Enough ammunition was fired against him covertly and overtly.

The disenchantment was evident when the politburo decided not to field Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan as candidates in the Assembly elections.

The leaders thought that the sort of party that is CPM would not tolerate individualism and Achuthanandan was a thing of the past.
An yes-man of Pinarayi group was being groomed as Chief Minister.

In effect, the party itself did him a great service by pestering him on an unprecedented scale during the candidate selection. The party rank and file and intellectuals supported him. That is those who did not see eye to eye with this earthy human being rallied support for him.

There was great clamour for giving him a seat. The politburo which usually does not kowtow to individualism had to relent. That was a rare occasion.

Now that the LDF has swept the polls, no one could speak against Achuthanandan.

This is what is called noble revenge.

The octogenarian who has been pursuing issues after issues in Kerala all these years had to give over to E K Nayanar twice earlier. This was the last chance for him, and there was a deliberate attempt to eliminate him. The people saw through this game.

Every human being has his fate cut out for him. All these few decades he was slogging like anything without proper rewards.

Now nobody can deny him the cup that is raised to toast him.
Even cruelty has a little bit of sympathy for the victim.