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CPM may dump VS, ministers
In a bid to beat Kerala’s record of throwing the ruling coalition out of power in every election, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) is likely to deny tickets this time around to chief minister VS Achuthanandan and most of his cabinet ministers.
In a bid to beat Kerala’s record of throwing the ruling coalition out of power in every election, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) is likely to deny tickets this time around to chief minister VS Achuthanandan and most of his cabinet ministers.
The CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) captured power from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in 2006, and if the state continues its trademark anti-incumbency trend, may well be voted out in the coming assembly polls in May. It is this scenario that the CPI(M) is trying desperately to avoid.
After its worst debacle in the 2009 parliamentary elections, the CPM prepared a rectification programme under which MPs and MLAs who had already served two or more terms should stay away from polls and concentrate on organisational work.
Party insiders say this would be the ideal way to get rid of Achuthanandan, who has grown unpopular for his autocratic style of working.
Other heavyweights may also fall by wayside if the plan is strictly implemented.
Going by the party’s assessment, there has been no improvement in its prospects of retaining power since the setback in Lok Sabha polls; the drubbing in recent civic polls in the state lends credence to this view.
“It is too early to say about the candidates. But winability will be the main criteria,” said party MP P Rajeev. “Commonwealth (Games) to 2G (second generation mobile telephony), we have enough graft cases to debate,” he said, referring to the allegations of corruption that have rocked the Congress-led Central government.
Going by the current political climate, the state is unlikely to shed its tradition of not giving the ruling coalition a second successive chance in power.
