THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Marxist veteran, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, has rejected any opportunistic tie-up with disgruntled Opposition allies, saying CPM’s ideological positions will not permit the party to have any truck with “corrupt” and “communal” elements. The veteran’s comments on Saturday came amid the political discourse triggered by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s statement that the LDF was ready for issue-based cooperation with Kerala Congress (M).
Mr Achuthanandan rejected outright any understanding with either Mr K.M. Mani or the Muslim League. In reply to questions by mediapersons on possibilities of the Left Democratic Front acco-mmodating KC (M), the former chief minister said: “Mani is the most corrupt person. We will have nothing to do with him.” On the question of a tie-up with Muslim League, Mr Achuthanandan said: “Muslim League is a communal party and we cannot have any understanding with such forces. League’s ideology is incompatible to the Communist Party of India (Marxist),” he said.
Mr Achuthanandan’s public response (breaking silence after these few weeks) to the proposal for accommodating Mr Mani and the League indicated that he would be in the forefront to campaign against the politics of opportunism, no matter what ideological veneer was lent by its proponents. Marxist veteran, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan’s statement had come the day after the editorial in the party mouthpiece, Deshabhimani, indirectly hinted at an understanding with Muslim League.
He also rejected Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s view that the LDF was not averse to a broader tie-up with Mr Mani. Mr Balakrishnan had called for a pragmatic approach towards KC (M) to prevent the BJP from becoming the automatic beneficiary of UDF disintegration. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran was also vehement in his opposition to the CPM bosses’ newfound love for the UDF malcontents, saying the Deshabhimani editorial on Friday, subtly hinting at an understanding with Muslim League, was not the LDF view.
“Those who wrote the editorial should go through backfiles to read the extensive writings of the late E M S Namboodiripad on the issue since 1986. Once they read these articles all doubts will be cleared,” he said. The CPI had already opposed any move to accommodate Mr Mani in LDF. “We cannot canonize the corrupt Mani. The people are watching all these developments and what shall we tell them. The LDF came to power through its relentless and uncompromising stand on the issue of corruption,” he added.
However, LDF convener Vaikom Viswan, said the front could think of an understanding with KC (M) if it came forward to work to safeguard the common interests of the people of the state. He said the CPM state secretary had already made the party stand clear on the issue. “But so far this issue has not come up for discussion in our party fora,” he hastened to add.
