Cold War in Kollam CPM ahead of state conference

KOLLAM: The factionalism in Kollam district, the venue of the state conference, has become a headache for the party as it escalated into clashes and street protests. Problems that did not arise even when the VS-Pinarayi groups were strong are taking place in Kollam, especially in Karunagappally.

It was the cold war among the district leadership that led to contests to capture the committees. There was a contest attempt at many local conferences with the tacit support of the factions in the leadership. Karunagappally, which has the highest number of party members in Kollam, has two factions led by Democratic Women's Association state president Susan Kody and CPM district committee member PR Vasanthan. One faction alleges that Susan Kody's faction has the support of CPM district secretary and state committee member K Somaprasad. It is also alleged that former district secretary and state committee member K Rajagopal and another senior state committee member are supporting the Vasanthan faction.

There are 10 local committees in Karunagappally. Seven local conferences in them were suspended after a contest for the new committee was formed. State committee member K Somaprasad was in charge of conducting the conference. Later, the suspended conferences that had been attended by district secretary, S Sudevan, state committee members K Rajagopal, K Varadarajan, J Mercykutty Amma and Susan Kody, were resumed. During a dispute at the Thodiyoor local conference, a representative snatched the minutes and ran out.

K Rajagopal's car, which came out after a section of the state committee members and representatives were locked inside the hall during the Kulasekharapuram North local conference the other day, was stopped by a section. The window pane of Vasanthan's car was smashed. The DYFI activist who was driving this car was attacked.

19 members who were preparing for the contest for the 15-member local committee did not yield to the persuasion at the Kulasekharapuram South conference. The conference was suspended again because of this. A section of activists shouted slogans against PR Vasanth in the name of 'Save CPM' and staged a demonstration at the area committee office. The district conference is scheduled to be held from December 9 to 13. The leadership is worried about whether the Karunagappally area conference can be completed before this.

There were strict instructions from the state leadership not to allow contests in the conferences. Ignoring this proposal, for the first time in the state during this conference period, a contest for the local committee was held at the Chathannoor local conference in Kollam. Following this, the session was initially suspended. When the conference was held again, those who were ready for the contest did not yield and a contest was allowed as caste divisions developed. The secretary who presented the panel in the contest was defeated. In Velamanoor, a contest was held for the post of local secretary. It is also alleged that group meetings were held at many places in the district ahead of the local conference. The party is struggling to facilitate the state conference proceedings amidst factionalism in the district. The state conference is scheduled for March.