CPM leaders not on the same page over portraying Pinarayi Vijayan as 'Captain'

CPM starts door-to-door visits as campaign enters last lap
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan greets party supporters during an election campaign ahead of Kerala Assembly Polls, in Thiruvananthapuram, March 26, 2021. PTI

Thiruvananthapuram: The moniker of "captain" may have helped chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to project the image of an efficient leader, but his party colleagues are not amused. The CPM is divided on the eve of the poll over the importance given to a leader as a brand.

The Congress and the BJP have tried to fan the fire ahead of the election. Pinarayi will have a difficult time fielding the allegation of projecting a personal image. Interestingly, his loyalists had raised the same allegation against veteran V S Achuthanandan while trying to dominate the factional feuds in the party.

In fact, the charges have come full circle. Achuthanandan was termed as a "donkey carrying an idol" by party leader P Jayarajan, who himself faced the charge in a party which was fully controlled by Pinarayi. Now Pinarayi himself is accused of projecting himself beyond the party.

Jayarajan would not play to the tune of any captain. "Everyone is a comrade in our party. The party is the captain," he said. The outburst comes close on the heels of similar comments by party politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Pinarayi himself was unfazed. He said that the people may call him whatever they like. Party’s acting state secretary, A Vijayaraghavan, supported him.

Jayarajan's retort was particularly forceful, since it comes from a party leader who was accused of promoting a personality cult around himself while serving as the district secretary in Kannur. "Some people express their affection with a song. Some people will put up photos and some others will get a tattoo," he wrote on Facebook, referring to a damning state committee report that frowned upon party comrades exalting Jayarajan's personality.

The party went through an embarrassing phase when a group of people which called themselves “PJ Army” sought to lionise Jayarajan on social media. The party had given out clear instructions to the comrades not to indulge in any confusing move in the election season.

Party’s Malayalam mouthpiece ‘Deshabhimani’ called Pinarayi “captain” in a catchy headline. There were subsequent references to the same moniker, which was taken up by the cadre on social media. This campaign prompted questions directed at the party leadership whether it approved of the brand-making.

Jayarajan’s comment is also significant given the fact that he was not considered as a candidate in the assembly election after his defeat in the Lok Sabha election.

Vijayaraghavan had a different opinion. He said that the moniker was a reflection of the people’s recognition of the government’s work.

Kodiyeri said that neither the Left Democratic Front nor the CPM was a one-man army. The party has tried to tap on Pinarayi’s acceptance among the people as the chief minister.

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