With hardly 48 hours to go for the first phase of the election to local bodies in Kerala, the electorate is witnessing a bizarre phenomenon in the State. The CPI(M), Kerala’s largest political outfit with presence in every nook and corner, has been left leaderless and rudderless. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister and the one-time star campaigner of the party has not moved out of his high security Cliff House residence in the State capital for the last three weeks. Vijayan (76), at the autumn of his life, remains reclusive and it is the local commissars who go around the State soliciting votes.
M A Baby, polit bureau member and party ideologist, said that it was the unanimous decision of the CPI(M) State Committee not to expose Vijayan to the arduous election campaigning in the backdrop of Covid-19. “There is no doubt that Vijayan is our commander-in-chief. But he has many important tasks to attend to and hence we decided not to over burden him,” said Baby.
But the ground reality is different and not in synch with facts. The Chief Minister is upset over the investigation being carried out by central agencies like Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Customs , NIA and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence against top party leaders, their family members and even against officials of the Chief Minister’s Office. M Sivsankar, former principal secretary to Vijayan is in prison for the last one month and chances of him coming out on bail look bleak as on Saturday.
To make matters worse, C M Raveendran, the all-powerful additional special secretary to Chief Minister is on the run from law enforcing agency. Raveendran, who is described as the “super CM” by other ministers and party leaders, have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning about the illegal wealth amassed by him during the last 15 years. But Raveendran, a matriculate, had managed to cock a snook at the ED officials with one claim or other. “We have the details of illegal wealth made by Raveendran over the last 15 years. But he is avoiding all notices and summons issued to him by us though his luck has run out,”, said an ED official.
The CPI(M), a party once known for its military like discipline and authoritarianism, has degenerated into a house divided into many units. Chief Minister Vijayan and finance minister Thomas Issac are not even on speaking terms. “The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption raided the offices of Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE), a public sector unit under the department of finance. Issac described the action as a sign of lunacy and one need not explain whom he was targeting,” said Jayashankar, a leading political commentator.
The BJP, which is trying to make inroads in Kerala politics, was scathing in its attack on Vijayan. “Pinarayi Vijayan is the worst chief minister in Kerala’s political history. Since the campaign for local body election began in early November, the CPI(M) candidates themselves have not sought his services. Vijayan’s photographs are conspicuous by their absence in campaign meetings,” said K Surendran, president, Kerala BJP.
What is crucial about the local body polls is that it is the precursor to the assembly election expected to take place in March-April 2021.
