In rural Kerala, ‘Master’ is an honorific used while addressing school teachers who are widely respected. Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MV Govindan, who has been elected the party’s State Secretary in place of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, is also a ‘Master’. In school, while he served as a teacher, Govindan taught Physical Education (PE). In CPI(M) circles he is considered a ‘Master’ of Marxist theory and praxis, who wouldn’t like to deviate from the party line. A taskmaster known for his study classes to educate the party’s rank and file, Govindan has now stepped down as the Minister for Local-Self Government and Excise.
Kodiyeri’s third tenure on the top post ended abruptly owing to his health condition. Govindan, like the last four predecessors to the post he has been assigned – Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Chadayan Govindan and EK Nayanar – hails from Kannur, the strongest fort of the party in Kerala.
The CPI(M) leaders from Kannur are all distinguished by their dialect. It is this dialect, which resonates power, that now holds sway both in the party’s state unit and the Assembly. The appointment of Govindan can be seen as an assertion of Kannur dominance. Though Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Govindan share the same dialect, there is little that is common in their styles of functioning. Govindan, MLA of Thaliparamba in the district, is a hardcore Marxist, who does not like to deviate from party principles. Kodiyeri, known for his pragmatism, did not bother much about the theory while he was in office.
Govindan, however, has never been known for his experience in troubleshooting or diplomatic ways of handling situations because of perceived ideological rigidity. Being not a diplomat should not be a handicap in the current political environment because the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second largest ally of the CPI(M) in the Left Democratic Front (LDF), does not firmly counter any of the former’s decisions.
The State Secretary is a powerful post but Kodiyeri while at the helm never adopted a confrontationist stance with Pinarayi Vijayan, who has the final word in the party. VS Achuthanandan was once Pinarayi Vijayan’s biggest rival in the party but Kodiyeri did not allow the bad blood between the two to sour the relationship he had with VS. Diplomacy was the character trait that made Kodiyeri stand out during his tenure.
The party’s rank and file found Pinarayi not easily approachable even during his long tenure as the State Secretary, Even during Pinarayi’s reign Kodiyeri had, to an extent, managed the district-wise affairs of the party as he was aware of the ground realities. His wide experience in organisational matters helped him smoothly run the party machinery at the grass-roots level. Kodiyeri stood for consensus rather than making rivals in politics. He was instrumental in maintaining the trust of LDF allies as an affable and approachable leader. During the induction of the Kerala Congress (M) into the LDF fold, it was Kodiyeri who held discussions with the late KM Mani and later with his son Jose K Mani. Kodiyeri also maintained a good rapport with the leaders of Opposition parties. The only time he had to answer difficult questions was when his sons, Binoy and Bineesh hit headlines one after the other after being booked in different cases. Politically nothing had stopped him in the party.
Govindan, unlike Kodiyeri, is not seen as a hardcore Pinarayi loyalist. Kodiyeri turned out to be the biggest strength for Pinarayi during the latter’s first tenure as CM and in the second tenure till he stepped down. They share a bonhomie that dates back to the time of the Emergency, when both of them were jailed. Never in history, the party and the government went hand in hand as in the time when Kodiyeri was the Secretary. This was in sharp contrast to the reign of EK Nayanar when VS Achuthanandan was called the ‘Opposition leader’ for he never spared the government led by his own party. Nayanar served as the CM for three terms - 1980-81, 1987-1991 and 1996 to 2001. VS led the party’s state unit as Secretary from 1980 to 1992. Pinarayi’s tenure as Secretary too was not different. When VS was the CM (2006 to 2011), his government faced flak from the party. A similar situation emerged when Pinarayi became the CM in 2016. Achuthanandan, though not the party Secretary then, made his objections known on several issues acting as a thorn in the flesh
This changed when Kodiyeri became the Secretary. The party and the government appeared to be on the same page and at no point did the party attempt to correct the government led by ‘Captain’ Pinarayi. Kodiyeri also came to the help of Pinarayi on some occasions when the latter faced trouble. This was contrary to what a section of the party believed. They thought Kodiyeri would flex his muscles and bring the party under his grip and keep Pinarayi under control as the party did not tolerate personalities becoming taller than the party. The unity in the party and a goodwill regarding the governance helped the LDF script history by returning to power in 2021. The CPI(M) also increased its seat share from 58 in 2016 to 62 in 2021.
The decision of the party to choose Govindan has brought cheer to the rank and file, who are enamoured by his proletarian roots and credentials as an ideologue. They believe his experience and wisdom would help steer the party forward and ensure a third term for the LDF. Would Govindan, a stickler to the party line, be able to adapt to the role of the Secretary when the government under Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to chart a new course focused on development for which ideological purity could be a hindrance? Govindan is assuming office at a time when the CPI(M)-led government, like other governments in non-BJP ruled states, is constantly facing attacks from central agencies. The CPI(M) considers the high-handedness by agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, targeting its senior leaders, politically motivated. There is also the threat of money power being used to buy MLAs to topple elected state governments. Countering it needs astute strategies and political manoeuvring which calls for strengthening the party and further consolidating its base. As the State Secretary of the party, Govindan has a task cut out to safeguard the party and the government in power.