Analysis | E P Jayarajan's mutiny & Shailaja-P Jayarajan silence: Is CPM's Vizhinjam plot sinking?

After the initial strategic confusion, which manifested in the CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani describing the MSC-Adani deal in self-congratulatory terms, the CPM has rushed the 'ownership change' pact to its political smithy and reshaped it into a deadly weapon against Chief Minister V D Satheesan.  
The shape of the narrative meant to draw the CM's blood is this: Satheesan has struck a secret deal with Adani to sacrifice Kerala's interests. 

All the top CPM leaders - Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, CPM state secretary M V Govindan, CPM central secretariat member T M Thomas Isaac, State Committee member M V Jayarajan and CPM Kannur district secretary K K Ragesh - have ceaselessly attempted to strike the CM with the one big question. "What did you discuss with the Adani Group representative in Mangalore where you secretly went right after the elections in a plane chartered by Adani?"

Just as the CPM leaders were closing in on the Chief Minister, an influential leader has all of a sudden called for a time out. 
"The Vizhinjam Port is an asset for Kerala. There is no need to drag it into a controversy," CPM central committee member E P Jayarajan said on Thursday. He also had a word of advice to the UDF government. "The government should focus on steps to complete the project at the earliest. The project work would come to a standstill if attention is drawn to controversies like this," he said, subtly telling the Chief Minister to ignore the CPM darts. 

Jayarajan sounded indifferent to the allegations of corruption. "If someone feels that corruption had taken place, let it be raised. The government and its Vigilance wing will investigate," he said, and with a biting intolerance for his own partymen, he told reporters gathered around him: "I have not levelled any allegations. If you want to know about them get it cleared from those who have made these charges." 

Disputing Pinarayi's claims and echoing CM Satheesan's assertion, Jayarajan said that the sale of Adani Vizhinjam Ports Private Limited stocks to Mediterranean Shipping Company's subsidiary, Terminal Investment Limited, would not lead to a monopoly. "It is impossible to violate the conditions of the Concession Agreement. If at all they want to change anything in the agreement, they have to secure the approval of both the centre and the state," he said. 

A district-level CPM leader described Jayarajan's remarks as a "virtual snub of the official CPM leadership". 

"There is a growing sense within the party that criticising the latest developments in Vizhinjam would backfire. People know that the LDF government was highly supportive of Adani. The MSC company was even invited to the Vizhinjam Conclave that the LDF had organised in 2025," the CPM leader said. 

Nonetheless, he is critical of Jayarajan's open rebellion at a time when it is important for the CPM to project a picture of unity. "He could have emulated K K Shailaja or P Jayarajan. Both these leaders,.I understand, are against the leadership's Vizhinjam strategy but they have not uttered a word that would embarrass the party. Silence is their rebellion," the CPM leader said. 

Not only have they kept their mouth zipped, Shailaja and Jayarajan have also not put up a single social media post on the Vizhinjam controversy. Even leaders like P K Sreemathy, who are less active in state politics, have made at least a lone passing reference to the UDF's "surrender to Mediterranean Shipping Company". 

There is a reason why a CPM State Committee member wants the party to be more circumspect in its Vizhinjam strategy. "At this stage, the UDF government had done things in a sensible manner. The government has formally expressed its displeasure at Adani for not informing it of the ownership change, and it has also formed a committee to study the consequences of the change in ownership. Most critically, the transfer of shares has not yet taken place," the leader said.

But as the main opposition party, shouldn't the CPM be seen as highly vigilant about a deal that could have far reaching consequences for Kerala? "At the most, we can warn the government of possible pitfalls, just the way comrade Isaac is doing. At this stage, we should come across as a constructive opposition," the state committee member said.  

While leaders like Pinarayi and Govindan have kept hurling the 'chartered flight to Mangaluru' barb at Satheesan, Isaac has diversified into practical but at the same time highly consequential concerns. "Till now, the controversy was around Adani's failure to secure Kerala's prior approval. But the real problem is in clause 5.9 of the Concession Agreement," Isaac said on July 8.

Under Clause 5.9, the concessionaire (Adani Vizhinjam Ports Private Limited) is prohibited from acquiring over 25 per cent control or interest in the operations or services of any other port situated within 250 kms of the Vizhinjam Port. "Fact is, Mediterranean Shipping Company has full ownership of one of the terminals of Tuticorn Post that is just 187 kms from Vizhinjam," Isaac said. 

The CM has still not answered this question.