Leaders foresee heavy damage to CPM

KOCHI: Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan’s revolt has embarrassed the CPM with many thinking that factionalism in the party has touched a new high. The party leaders assume that it will surely have adverse impacts.   The leaders loyal to Achuthanandan said that it is high time VS came out of the party as he had been facing many challenges for the past so many years. They said that they were prepared to meet any eventuality, including his expulsion from the party. Achuthanandan has been meeting some of his loyalists for the past few weeks. But it is learnt that only a few would follow the veteran leader. Many of them reminded him the fate of M V Raghavan and Gouri Amma, who had left the party and formed new parties. CPM state committee member M M Lawrence said  it is quite natural that the issue will damage the party. “The party has faced many issues recently. And it is strong enough to face any challenge. I’m confident that comrades who know the party will not be going behind any individual. Party is more important than individuals,” he said. On Achuthandan’s letter to the central leadership, Lawrence said: VS is a senior leader and he has every right to send a letter to the central leadership. But if it has been publicised with someone’s knowledge, then it is with bad intention.” There are many who think that Achuthanandan’s recent statement with regard to the T P Chandrasekharan murder was a well-planned move to woo those party workers, who have felt outraged over the murder, and to regroup his old comrades and supporters. Meanwhile, those who do not want to side with either of the factions, feel that an action against the stalwart would not have any major impact. They even opined that it would be nothing but Achuthanandan’s ‘vanaprastham’. State secretariat member M V Govindan said the party is well-equipped to deal with any issue. “The party had been targeted for many years and there will not be any impact. We know how to deal the issue,” he said. Political analyst Appukuttan Vallikkunu said it was disastrous that a man who was instrumental in the formation of the party had to come out against the leadership. “The party has lost its democratic way of functioning and it will be disastrous if any individual puts himself above the party,” he said.