‘Those credited with continued rule must also own successive defeats’: Pinarayi Vijayan face indirect criticism at CPI(M) state committee meet

KOZHIKODE: Former Chief Minister and Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan came in for indirect criticism at the CPI(M)’s extended state committee meeting on Monday. A Kasaragod delegate said those credited with the party’s continued rule should also take responsibility for its successive electoral defeats. The criticism came a day after state secretary M.V. Govindan faced criticism during the discussions.

The delegate specifically referred to the term “Kaaranabhoothan”, a reference to a person regarded as the reason behind an achievement, while criticising Pinarayi Vijayan. The delegate said the Assembly election defeat was not unexpected. The state leadership had failed to understand the public pulse and formulate an appropriate strategy after the party lost every election since 2021, the delegate said.

The delegate also said the contents of the party document presented at the meeting were not sufficient to restore the party’s lost credibility.
Similar criticism was raised by the district committees of Kollam, Thrissur, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta.

The discussion also focused on the failure in Payyannur. There was an indication that the state leadership had deliberately turned a blind eye to the situation in Taliparamba. This, the discussion suggested, was aimed at allowing the state secretary to evade responsibility.

Meanwhile, Kozhikode representatives who participated in the morning session called for protection for Pinarayi Vijayan and Mohammed Riyas in connection with the issue involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED was criticised for allegedly behaving like “goons”. The general discussion is scheduled to conclude around 8 p.m. on Monday.