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Tide turns against Nayanar

D Jose in Thiruvanathapuram

Uneasy lies the head when the seat is precarious.

Kerala Chief Minster E K Nayanar has reason to worry since the trade union group to which he belongs and which is led by bosses of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions, seems to have lost its clout, getting drubbed in the Communist Party of India-Marxist organisational election.

Nayanar is even uneasier because he was once a member of the other side, which is led by Politburo member V S Achuthanandan.

Having won over more than 60 per cent of the 439 state conference delegates who will decide the state leadership along with the present 79 state committee members, the Achuthanandan faction is in a strong position before the state conference, scheduled to be held at Palakkad from January 2 to 5.

Although Nayanar faces no immediate threat to his post, party sources indicate that Achuthanandan might push for a restructuring of the ministry. He is also likely to opt to become party secretary in place of incumbent Chadayan Govindan. Achuthanandan, who was eyeing the chief minister's post before he tripped over the ballot box at Mararikkulam in Alappuzha district, has reportedly agreed to consider the option if his supporters desire.

The CITU bosses have a campaign in place to pre-empt such a move. They are trying to tell the party's national leadership that Achuthanandan is using factionalism to push forward his own agenda. But the Achuthanandan group claims this is an effort by their rivals to gain from the central leadership what they could not through democratic means.

The CITU, adherents of the group aver, has no reason to complain because the election was conducted by secret ballot. CITU, they said, could not point fingers considering it had played on biases at the previous state conference.

The Achuthanandan group may insist on a contest if the central leadership tries to intervene in the state electoral process. Achuthanandan has bitter memories of such manoeuvring at the previous state conferences at Kozhikode and Kollam. Despite being in the majority, these games saw his group lose the secretaryship.

Party veteran E M S Namboodiripad, who has considerable influence in the state CPI-M organisation, may make it to Palakkad, against medical advice. At the last two conferences he favoured Nayanar, but this time he is dogged by old age and ill-health.

The chief minister hopes EMS can come and help maintain the status quo. But Achuthanandan will not give in easily. His group fears it could pave the way for upper caste domination of the Marxist party.

Achuthanandan, who belongs to the backward ezhava (toddytapper) community, has still not forgotten how CITU leaders tricked him in the last assembly election. The Achuthanandan camp feels that those who caused his defeat were those who earlier got rid of K R Gouri, another prominent ezhava leader, from the party. The results of the recent organisational election clearly show a divide between the Malabar and southern regions.

While the Achuthanandan camp swept through the southern districts of Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathamanthitta and Thiruvananthapuram, the CITU has retained its base in Malabar and central Kerala.

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