Pinarayi, Govindan face criticism at CPM Kollam meet; four reinstated to district committee

KOLLAM: The CPM’s extended Kollam district committee meeting witnessed sharp criticism of the State leadership, with members holding it responsible for the party’s crushing defeat in the Assembly elections. They said the massive erosion in votes, despite the leadership’s claim that the party would retain power, demonstrated its failure to understand public sentiment.

The arrogance of party leaders had also fuelled resentment among party cadres, members alleged, adding that the leaders themselves needed to correct their conduct.

Targeting Pinarayi Vijayan, members reportedly remarked that the legal controversy involving his daughter could have been avoided had she been given a job in a cooperative society. They also demanded stringent action against State secretary M.V. Govindan for fielding his wife as a candidate in Taliparamba.

Members criticised leaders for allegedly behaving arrogantly and then lecturing party workers on discipline. They argued that the party might not have suffered such a crushing defeat had the two-term limit for candidates been enforced without exceptions.

Meanwhile, P.R. Vasanthan, P. Radhamani, P.K. Balachandran and advocate B. Gopan have been reinstated to the district committee. They had been excluded from the committee formed at the previous district conference following factional disputes in Karunagappally.

Two vacancies had been kept in the district committee to accommodate members from Karunagappally. Two additional vacancies arose following the departure of Suja Chandra Babu, a Democratic Women's Association leader who joined the Indian Union Muslim League, and Viswanathan, who stepped down as the district committee office secretary.

Ten area secretaries and leaders of mass organisations have been included as invitees to the district committee. They are K.G. Biju, T.R. Sankarappilla, D. Viswasenan, J. Ramanujan, P. Saji, T.S. Padmakumar, R. Ravindran, T.R. Sreenath, Ranju Suresh and Basil Lal.