V S, Pinarayi may remain, some Ministers may get axe

By O J George

Kottayam: Ultimately, Chief Minister Achuthanandan and CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan may remain in their respective posts. Some ministers may get the axe.

This could be the formula being worked out for the solution of the problems plaguing Kerala unit of the party. There may be changes in the cabinet of West Bengal as well.

The changes may not be made immediately after the politburo and central committee meetings. The PB may be entrusted with taking the final decision.

Then the PB leaders would come to Kerala and hold discussions to make changes in the cabinet.

Leaders have started zooming in on AKG Centre in Gole Market, New Delhi, to attend the politburo meeting on June 19 and the central committee meeting on 20 and 21.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have reached Delhi. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is also expected in Delhi today itself.

Law Minister M.Vijayakumar and Health Minister P.K.Sreemathy are also reaching Delhi, it has been reported.

All groups are gearing up for presenting their views comprehensively so that there would be developments as they want after the politburo and central committee meetings.

The discussions at these bodies would be crucial as the CPM had met with an all-time low in electoral politics.

The debacle was severe in West Bengal as well as Kerala.

The official agenda for the politburo is review of election performance. Politburo member M K Pandhe had said earlier that if someone raises the Lavalin issue, it would be discussed.

Lavalin, anyway cannot go unnoticed. The election review report has reference about Lavalin. Also, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan is sure to raise the issue.

The paradox is that the central leadership which is convinced that the problems in Kerala are serious would not rush in to take action against either Pinarayi Vijayan or V S Achuthanandan.

For, the central leadership is convinced that all the problems have arisen because of the rivalry between Pinarayi Vijayan and Achuthanandan. Pinarayi’s grip in the party cannot be removed. The popularity of Achuthanandan cannot be ignored.

Achuthanandan may cave in provided no harm would come to his position. Also, if the party comes round to accepting the position that Pinarayi should face Lavalin legally, without challenging the action of the Governor, the ethics of Pinarayi continuing as party secretary facing corruption charge is something the central leadership should take care of.

And there would be a stick ready to beat Pinarayi when results of future elections like the Assembly polls ensue. In panchayat elections due in 2010, the results need not be that bad for the LDF.

Lavalin charge-sheet, if accepted by the special court in Kochi on Tuesday will take a long time for conclusion.

The central leadership of the party has already made it clear that corrective steps would be taken to deal with the distancing of the people from the party.

The CPM has already approached the church for a rapprochement. The education sphere was the harshest realm of contention between the church and the party.

Will M A Baby face the axe? Will the CPM divest itself of the tricky portfolio and give it over to Kerala Congress(J), when P J Joseph is to re-admitted to the cabinet? It could be some way of appeasing the church.

Devaswom Minister G.Sudhakaran, beware. Some people have a feeling that he had meddled too much in the affairs of certain community leaders. The party may go in for pleasing community leaders.

What other changes would result in may be part of the wisdom of party leadership.

However, the debacle in West Bengal where the CPM had an upper hand for the last three decades or more, is sure to attract the attention of the leadership for changes in approach, and policy.