The New Indian Express ·
Will CPM’s extended state committee meeting in Kozhikode signal a course correction?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Could A Vijayaraghavan or P Rajeeve replace M V Govindan in due course? Will Pinarayi Vijayan step down, paving the way for K N Balagopal to assume the role of leader of opposition (LoP)? What kind of change does the party intend to carry out? Is the tussle for the deputy LoP position a mere plank to corner someone? And the biggest question: close to a decade after silencing ugly factional feuds, has the stage been set for a bitter internal conflict targeting the patriarch?
As the CPM gears up for its first ever extended state committee meet in Kozhikode from September 13, countless questions reverberate in political circles. While the official leadership is vouching for what it terms a change in style -- of a cosmetic nature -- the rival section, which is gradually gaining ground, wants more, especially discussions on new people at the top.
Following the assembly election defeat, most party committees were witness to criticism of the leadership, and the tendency to forge power centres. Given the sentiment against Pinarayi and Govindan, a change in leadership would be the only way to send a message that the party means business.
