Kochi: The strained relationship between the CPM and the CPI in Ernakulam is set to worsen with reports of several CPI workers in Neryamangalam, Kavalangad and Pothanikad joining the CPM. The move is in protest against the party’s policy of welcoming CPM dissidents. Many active party members in the area have criticised the party’s policy of giving membership to those who quit the CPM. Recently, more than 500 CPM members, their families and supporters from Udayamperoor and Tripunithura areas had joined the CPI.
There are reports that the CPM is trying to woo the unhappy CPI workers in response to the Udayamperoor episode. There, the CPI could strengthen its mass base and increase the number of branch committees and local committees with new members joining it. The CPM has been forced to prove its mass base in Tripunithura and Udayamperoor areas where the party was facing internal feud and organisational issues for long.
Meanwhile, the CPI leadership claimed that the reports of massive outflow of members from the party were baseless. “In Neryamangalam, more than 150 CITU workers had recently joined the AITUC. But the reports that over 200 party workers are joining the CPM are not true. The notice criticising the party’s policy and leadership being circulated now was published in April 2015 when a group of CPI members quit the party. They left following issues related to seat allocation in the local body polls and not due to any organisational issues,” said Mr T. Raghuvaran, leader of the group of former CPM members who recently joined the CPI.
