Kerala CPI(M) mouthpiece flays CPI, asks why CPI is worried about Congress’ failure

Further deepening the tussle between the CPI and CPI(M), the latter’s mouthpiece Deshabhimani has published an editorial flaying the CPI asking why it is worried about the Congress party’s failure in the recently held elections for Kottayam District Panchayat president’s post.

CPI is second largest party in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI(M).  

The CPI(M) supported KM Mani’s Kerala Congress (M) candidate for the election to the Kottayam District Panchayat held on Wednesday. KC (M)'s Zacharias Kuthiravelil won the election with 12 votes while Congress' Sunny Pampady got eight. The unexpected political alliance between the CPI(M) and KC(M), which were in opposing political fronts for decades, had created a political storm in the state.  

KC(M) was the second largest ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) after the Indian Union Muslim League, until it parted ways with the UDF in 2016. While Congress called Mani’s move political betrayal and opportunistic, the CPI flayed CPI(M) for supporting the erstwhile political rival. Mani on Thursday claimed that the agreement with the CPI(M) was at the local level.

"There is no surprise that the debacle in the Kottayam District Panchayat election saddened the Congress and the UDF. The crying about it was louder in 'some corners', than d it was heard from the Congress headquarters Indira Bhavan,” the editorial appeared on Deshabhimani on Saturday said. Political watchers believe that the ‘corners’ being referred to in the article were an indirect reference to CPI.

“Left parties like the CPI(M) and the CPI, and all democratic political outfits have taken a thoughtful attitude against the Congress and the Sangh Parivar. The Congress is not strong enough to defend the threat posed by the BJP. In Kottayam, the party has accepted an approach based on the stand to weaken the UDF and the BJP," the editorial stated, justifying the party's tie up with KC (M) in Kottayam.

“The decision to defeat the BJP and the Congress was taken during the last Local Body Elections in the state. A decision was taken to field individual candidates or those from groups in elections, except from the Congress and the BJP. The circumstances have not changed from that time. Then how is the move to defeat UDF in Kottayam a wrong one?" the editorial asked.

Mani walked out of the UDF in August 2016. He had, at that time, said that he will not align with the LDF and will sit as a separate block in the Assembly. Mani cited ill- treatment by the Congress as the reason to part ways. The editorial also asked the CPI whether CPI(M) or LDF had any obligation to help the Congress into power. 

Mani is a legislator since 1967 and Kerala Congress (M) was an ally of the UDF since 1982. Mani was the finance minister in previous UDF government. He quit in 2015 over an adverse remark by the High Court in the sensational bar scam case, in which many politicians burnt their fingers.

The CPI (M) and CPI have been locking horns over many issues since the LDF assumed power in May 2016, including the Munnar evictions.