Vijayakumar and Kadakampally tried to prevent me from becoming CPM district secretary, attempt was also made to stop installation of Krishna Pillai's statue: Pirappancode Murali

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran Communist leader Pirappancode Murali has revealed that leaders including M Vijayakumar, Kadakampally Surendran and Anavoor Nagappan tried to prevent him from becoming CPM district secretary in 2006. Pirappancode Murali made this revelation in his autobiography. In his autobiography published in the 'Prasadhakan' magazine, Murali said that he had received the support of Pinarayi Vijayan at that stage.

Pirappancode Murali also revealed that some leaders even raised opposition when he attempted to install the bust of Comrade Krishna Pillai, one of the founding leaders of the Communist Party, at the CPM district committee headquarters on his birth centenary. According to Pirappancode Murali, the leaders opposed the move to install Krishna Pillai's bust by claiming that it was an arrangement to humiliate Kattayikkonam Sridhar. He pointed out that the district secretariat finally decided to install the statue and hold other programs with a majority of one vote due to his uncompromising stand.

The veteran leader raised serious allegations against M Vijayakumar in his autobiography. 'In 1996, the party introduced a criterion that if a person contests for two consecutive terms, he cannot contest for the third time. After losing in 2001, M Vijayakumar, who had been running in elections continuously since 1987, had little chance of being granted the right to run again. Vijayakumar said that the party's district committee will ask the state committee to give a concession for me to contest for the third time as I had won twice in a row from Vamanapuram. When I firmly stated that I wouldn't contest for a third time, he promised to work for a concession. He also said that I should take up the position of district secretary.

When the list of candidates came out, I and Vijayakumar got concessions. However, I firmly told the state committee that I won't contest. Vijayakumar, meanwhile, made the decision to run. Despite submitting his nomination as a candidate, Vijayakumar continued as district secretary. Finally, the state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan intervened and the district committee was called to select a new district secretary. I was surprised when Vijayakumar, who had earlier asked me to become the secretary, suggested the name of R Parameswaran Pillai in that meeting. When he was dropped due to his age and health issues, Pinarayi suggested my name instead. However, Vijayakumar did not give the key to the district secretary's room, or the DC's car. He did not even give me a driver. I had to use an old car from the DC office by hiring a new driver,' Pirappancode Murali wrote in his autobiography.

'Although many people disagreed with the stand taken by me and the majority of the district leaders regarding the denial of candidature to VS Achuthanandan, it was Vijayakumar who expressed it strongly. Vijayakumar took back the post of district secretary from me the day after the election. He did not give up the post of secretary even after swearing in as minister in the Achuthanandan cabinet. Following this, the state leadership intervened yet again. Kadakampally Surendran and Anavoor Nagappan joined forces with the anti-VS leaders in the district and made a last-ditch effort to prevent me from becoming the secretary. Vijayakumar called him at midnight on the eve of the district committee and warned him in a tone of warning that he should not run for the post of secretary in order to preserve the unity of the party and that he would lose if the district committee elections were held. On the eve of the district committee, Vijayakumar called me at midnight and asked me not to run for the post of secretary in order to preserve the unity of the party. He also warned me that I would lose if the district committee elections were held,' he added.

Pirappancode has also cited the Kerala Kaumudi news of Pirapancode becoming the district secretary after defeating Parameswaran Pillai in the district committee polls.