Kerala Chief Minister and CPI (M) Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan faced a bit of criticism at a few area level organisation meetings held ahead of district level meetings and the state party conference to be held in February. However, these dissent notes have not deterred the “Captain” in any way and it is all dominance of Vijayan.
Ahead of the party meetings, everyone looked upon how Vijayan was going to become all-powerful in the party, which has been for some years have been revolving around him. Starting from a cap on two-time sitting MLAs even before the assembly elections, Vijayan was seen dominating even the party. Even choosing his cabinet colleagues, sources said that the party had only a little role to play. It was only Pinarayi Vjayan’s decision on who should be with him in the ministry, the sources said. Moreover, political critics also opined that Vijayan was quite adamant in choosing the ministers, many of whom are quite obedient to the Chief Minister rather than the party.
TO PROVE HIS VOICE IS FINAL
Several leaders had come out at the local meetings against Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing displeasure over his way of functioning. Several of the meetings, both at the local and area levels, saw heated arguments. The party that sensed the heat of the rebellion, tried to suppress such rebellions at the local level itself. Despite the party trying to suppress the rebellious voices at the grass root level itself, Pinarayi Vijayan, who does not want to hear any rebellious voice, himself took the baton in silencing his critics at the District level Meetings. Vijayan has been participating at all the District level Conferences till now so that he could wade his baton against all his critics. He does not want to lose his hold in the party that he has been enjoying for the last several years. And once Vijayan took the helm of affairs at the district meetings, no dissident voice could be heard. Suppressing the rebellious voices, Vijayan is proving that he is the final word in the party, political critics opined.
ALL POWERFUL AND ABOVE PARTY
Vijayan is the real Captain now as his party workers call him. Earlier, the critics note that the party state secretary was far above the Chief Minister himself. It was mainly the party or the state secretary that wielded power and took decisions. But after Vijayan became the Chief Minister, the equations changed. Pinarayi was all powerful and his was the final word in party as well as the Left Front Government.
For more than 17 years, Vijayan was the party secretary that had strengthened his hold among party workers. The critics note that when V S Acuthanandan was the Chief Minister during 2006-11, Vijayan, who was then party secretary, had the majority support of the ministers, leaders as well party workers.
With party now under his control, Vijayan does not want anyone to point finger at him, critics said. They said that Vijayan had a clear agenda in participating at all the party’s district meetings ahead of the party conference. Even the State Party Secretary is sidelined in many of the meetings. The critics noted and added that it was only Pinarayi at these meetings. With clear agenda, Pinarayi wants no dissident voice against him or his chosen ministers. Nor does he want anyone rise above him. Moreover, critics also point out that he was becoming all-powerful in the party with even the national leaders falling in line.
