Why Shamseer feels sidelined in CPM as Riyas' career grows by leaps and bounds

P A Mohamed Riyas and A N Shamseer

Thiruvananthapuram: Thalassery legislator A N Shamseer’s Facebook post quoting a Jayasurya film dialogue has set tongues wagging in his party, CPM, soon after his tangle with Public Works Department Minister P A Mohammed Riyas over the latter expressing displeasure over contractors accompanying MLAs.

Many in the CPM suspect that the popular film line is Shamsheer’s riposte to Riyas and the CPM state leadership who backed the minister over his controversial comment that apparently upset a few CPM legislators. The dialogue quoted by the legislator, who is also a CPM state committee member, has paved the way for different interpretations in party circles.

The FB post was headlined with the mass dialogue from the film 'Vellam'. It read: “Insult aan Murali ee lokathile ettavum valiya investment,” meaning, "insult is the biggest investment in the world, Murali."

Shamseer used the dialogue apparently to congratulate actor Jayasurya for winning the State Best Actor Award. The comment section of the post is flooded with counter questions from netizens. Isn’t this dialogue targeted at minister Riyas, many wondered.

CPM had earlier suggested that the expression of opinions in social media over party matters should also be brought within the purview of discipline. 

The Facebook post gained attention as it came close on the heels of the reported spat between Riyas and Shamseer at the CPM legislature party meeting late last week. Riyas had stated in the Assembly that MLAs should not accompany contractors while visiting ministers. His statement evoked a sharp reaction from Shamseer. A few other CPM MLAs too expressed their opposition to the minister’s remarks.

At the CPM legislature party meeting, Shamseer had questioned ministers' statement in the Assembly that MLAs need not accompany contractors while coming to meet him. The minister later reacted publicly stating that he stood by his remarks made on the floor of the House.

CPM leadership came out in support of Riyas. Many in the party feel that Shamseer made evident his disillusionment after he lost out on a ministerial position in the Pinarayi Vijayan Government as Riyas was favoured over him.

Why Shamseer is upset

If one read between the lines Shamseer's quoted film line he likely wants to convey that the party first insulted him by not giving him the much-expected Cabinet berth and now he is being berated again by projecting him as the middleman of the contractors. But he is not going to be cowed down by these insults.

Shamseer, who is a senior both in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and in the Kerala Legislative Assembly to Riyas, was expecting a berth in the Left Democratic Front Cabinet this time. However, it was Riyas, who is the son-in-law of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who found a place in the ministry.

Shamseer formerly held the posts of SFI state secretary and DYFI state president. Both Shamseer and Riyas were inducted into the CPM state committee at the State Conference held at Thrissur in 2018.

But Riyas had gone past Shamseer in the DYFI hierarchy at its national conference held in Kochi a year earlier. Riyas, who was neither a DYFI state president nor secretary, went on to become the national president of the youth organisation. The then-state president Shamseer and state secretary M Swaraj became national vice-president and joint secretary, respectively.

Cut to 2021. His debut electoral win in assembly elections and his stature as the DYFI national chief went a long way in Riyas' appointment as a minister. Other factors that likely helped was his minority community background, young age and place of birth, Kozhikode. Though Shamseer, the two-term MLA from Kannur, was also eligible on these counts, he lost out on the ministership.

Many believe the criticism raised at the legislature party meeting and the subsequent Facebook post only reflected his frustration for being sidelined.

Significantly, Shamseer does not enjoy good relations with the CPM unit in Kozhikode. The Kozhikode district leadership had opposed the decision to field Shamseer from the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency in 2014. After the elections, the Kannur unit of the party complained to the state leadership that Shamseer’s defeat at the hands of Congress candidate Mullapally Ramachandran was because of the failure of the Kozhikode unit of the CPM.

Riyas set to quit national post

Meanwhile, the DYFI central committee meeting in which Riyas is likely to relinquish his national president’s post is taking place in Delhi on October 27. There are eight members from Kerala in the DYFI central committee.

Riyas’ departure from DYFI is likely to pave the way for a reshuffle in the organisation at the national level and in Kerala.

CPM is taking extra precautions to ensure that the differences between the two youth leaders do not adversely affect the youth organisation.

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