Pinarayi Vijayan hijacking CPI-M, alleges C.P. John

Kollam: Former senior CPI-M leader C.P. John launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of transforming the CPI-M into an extension of the government and turning the government into a mere arm of the party.

John, who parted ways with the CPI-M in the mid-1980s along with his mentor, the late firebrand leader M.V. Raghavan, criticised Vijayan for consolidating absolute control over both the party and the administration.

M.V. Raghavan was expelled from the CPI-M due to an internal power struggle sparked by his advocacy for an alliance with the Kerala Congress and IUML, contrary to the party's official stance.

"One watches with bated breath what is unfolding at the ongoing four-day CPI-M state conference, which has been completely hijacked by Vijayan. Today, CPI-M leaders in Kerala have been politically castrated—everything the party once stood for has been discarded under Vijayan, who has taken over both the government and the party," said John.

At the conference, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unveiled several proposals that deviate from the party's traditional positions, including a cess on government services, implementing sweeping changes in the education sector—some of which have already begun—and private sector involvement to revitalise struggling public sector enterprises.

"What is happening at this conference is unprecedented. Instead of discussing the party’s future, the focus has shifted to government programs. Vijayan, who already controls the government, is now tightening his grip on the party as well," John added.

C.P. John warned that the CPI-M's Kerala unit may face a similar downfall as its West Bengal counterpart, drawing parallels between the two.

"This is exactly what happened in West Bengal, and we all know where the party stands there now. With the state conference rubber-stamping Vijayan’s proposals without a murmur, no party worker dares to raise their voice, fearing the consequences," he said.

John, who now heads the Communist Marxist Party, is a key ally of the Congress-led UDF and is widely regarded as one of its main strategists.

(inputs from IANS)