CPM Thrissur district conference: Criticism raised against Karuvannur Bank scam and Thrissur Mayor

THRISSUR: The CPM Thrissur district conference’s activity report criticised the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam, stating that it had created a major crisis for the party. The report also pointed out that the party suffered a major setback due to Corporation Mayor MK Varghese's violation of term conditions. The Karuvannur Bank issue caused significant distress for the party, as the irregularities were indefensible and severely impacted the credibility of cooperative institutions. The report emphasized the need for strict monitoring of the functioning of cooperative institutions. Although there was an understanding that the CPM would take over the mayoral post after two and a half years, this agreement was not implemented.

In the organizational report, State Secretary MV Govindan issued strong criticism against party leaders. He alleged that some leaders in Thrissur district were going after money. He highlighted that many party units exhibited negative tendencies. He also pointed out that youth and student organizations were inactive in the district, stating that even DYFI was not functioning at the grassroots level, and SFI was no different. He asserted that this situation was unacceptable.

Although the party secured victory in the Chelakkara by-election, discussions are expected to arise regarding its performance in the Lok Sabha elections in Thrissur, as well as the factors that led to Suresh Gopi’s win. The Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam will also be a hot topic. The previous CPM district conference was held in January 2022, after the Karuvannur scam was exposed. Even after three years, the wounds caused by the scandal have not healed. There was also criticism directed at the police in the report.