Kerala CPI(M) infighting on

With the infighting in the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) spilling over to the streets ahead of the Assembly election, the party's Politburo will meet here next week to devise some strategy to tide over the crisis.

The meeting is learnt to be scheduled on March 21, although there is no official confirmation of the date yet. The Politburo will have a difficult task at hand as neither VS Achuthanandan not Pinarayi Vijayan- leaders of the two factions- is in a mood to give in.

After Vijayan faction managed to hold a sway in the just-concluded State committee and Secretariat meetings to deny ticket to Achuthanandan, the latter's supporters have hit the streets demonstarting against the state CPI(M) secretary.

Both sides have resorted to a no-holds barred war and are engaged in a slanderous campaign against each other on mobile phones as well.

Although Achuthanandan is yet to go public on this issue, there is strong speculation about the possibility of a split in the party.

Although the CPI(M) has not declared its candidate for the Chief Ministership, Paloli Mohammed Kutty, a Vijayan confidente, is believed to be the frontrunner in the race.

The Politburo will now have its task cut out- either overrule the state committee's decision and field Achuthanandan, which would mean further trouble from Vijayan faction, or stick by the state committee's decision and try to mollify Achuthanandan, which seems unlikely.

Some Left leaders call it a rivalry between 'liberal communists' (reform-minded people led by Vijayan who look up to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya for inspiration) and 'hardliners' (old ideologues led by Achuthanandan).

But for the controversial scam involving Vijayan, central leadership of the party was likely to opt for him as the Chief Ministerial candidate, according to sources.

Meanwhile, other constituents of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) are getting jittery over the ongoing developments in Kerala. Until recently the LDF looked like the favourites to win the election. It is no longer so, especially with the DIC(K) of K Karunakaran also likely to ink ties with the UDF.

"The LDF will still win. But, you cannot take it for granted any more. Besides, even if the CPI(M) leadership manages to bring the two factions together till the election, the rift among party cadres will have a bearing on the campaign,' said a senior CPI leader.

If the CPI(M) leadership fails to overcome the crisis soon, even this guarded optimism may vanish.