Alappuzha: The CPM in Kuttanad is under a serious crisis after months of factional feud finally resulting in 222 party members, including several prominent leaders, leaving the party and “joining” the other main Left front constituent CPI on Monday.
A CPI district council meeting held today under the leadership of Minister P Prasad ratified the suggestion of the Kuttanad Committee to allot membership to 222 dissidents. While 166 will be inducted as full-time party members, 56 will be allotted candidate memberships, sources said.
The dissidents include elected representatives besides the party area, local and branch committee members hailing from Ramankary, Muttar, Thalavady, Kavalam, and Veliyanadu panchayats.
“The elected members among us will join the CPI only after seeking the legal opinion. We’ve waited for a long for the local leadership to address the issues, but to no avail. Since we believe in the left ideology, we will continue working for the masses by joining the CPI,” said R Rajendra Kumar, Ramankary Panchayat president and Kerala State Karshaka Tozhilali Union (KSKTUC) District Joint Secretary, told Onmanorama.
The development has threatened the CPM with losing out of power in the 13-member strong Ramankary panchayat. Six of the nine CPM members have defected to CPI.
However, Rajendra Kumar sought to rule out the possibility. “We don’t intend to tender our resignations. We’re remaining in the Left Front itself,” he said. The Opposition has four members.
The factional feud in Kuttanad, one of its strongholds, began at least a year back and the efforts of the CPM leadership to resolve the same failed miserably. The rebels were mainly protesting against the “authoritarian and biased” attitude of the CPM’s Kuttanad area committee leadership.
