Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Left Democratic Front, which came to power with a thumping 91 seats out of 140 in the state assembly is facing up to some niggling problems within the Communist Party of India Marxist.
So is the Opposition United Democratic Front, where the main party, Congress is striving to settle the issue of who will be the leader of the Opposition in the House.
The CPM’s troubles are related to a little note that party veteran V.S. Achuthanandan was found to be reading during the swearing-in ceremony of Pinarayi Vijayan as chief minister on Wednesday.
Local media published the contents of the note, saying that it was about the party offering him an advisory post in the government, carrying a cabinet rank. Also in the note, reportedly, was that Achuthanandan be given membership in the party’s state secretariat.
CPM general secretary, Sitaram Yechury clarified on Thursday that it was in fact Achuthanandan who gave him a note, which was apparently written by someone in his personal staff team, containing a request that Achuthanandan be made chairman of the LDF, with a cabinet rank.
Yechury said the request would be considered by the party after discussion in the politburo. The politburo is meeting on May 28 and 29. The final decision on Achuthanandan’s ‘request’ is likely to be taken by the state cabinet.
It is not clear, however, who wrote the note or whether it was written with the knowledge of Achuthanandan.
In the Opposition camp, the Congress has to deal with the issue of choosing its leader in the House, who will then take over as the Opposition leader. Since former chief minister, Oommen Chandy has already taken the blame for the party’s crushing defeat in the poll, a new face in tipped to take over as Opposition leader.
The ‘I’ group in the party is expected to call the shots in the upcoming meeting of new MLAs, in which the choice of the Opposition leader will be made. Former home minister, Ramesh Chennithala who is identified with the ‘I’ group, is widely considered to be the front-runner for the Opposition leader’s post.
