Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 8 (HS): With two more years remaining for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to complete its tenure in office, the countdown for the exit of Pinarayi Vijayan as chief minister has begun in Kerala. A strong section of the CPI(M) wants the removal of Vijayan from the State’s top job and the installation of a new leader as chief minister.

Vijayan, who was addressed as captain and Karana Bhoothan (one responsible for the creation of everything) has become weaker over the last few weeks as a strong lobby of Christians and Muslims in the party has turned against the former. M A Baby, the polit bureau member of the CPI(M), Thomas Issac, former finance minister of Kerala, A K Balan, former minister, and John Brittas, the Rajya Sabha MP who wields enormous power in New Delhi’s durbar politics are the persons working overtime for ousting Vijayan.

The gang is supported by activists of SIMI, SDPI, Popular Front of India and Jama-at-e Islami who have infiltrated into the CPI(M) following the crackdown on these entities by the Union Home Ministry. The first sign that all was not well within the CPI(M) came out on its own when E P Jayarajan, a central committee member was removed as convenor of the LDF, the collective of political parties that supports the CPI(M).

Jayarajan, a Nambiyar from Kannur, was a close confidante of Vijayan and he had hoped to become the party’s Kerala secretary after the death of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. But Vijayan cast his lot with M V Govindan, a lower primary school teacher-turned-party ideologist and this upset Jayarajan. The latter’s meeting with BJP’s Kerala in charge Prakash Jawadekar turned out to be his nemesis and this led to his ouster from the post of LDF convener.

Baby, the Christian face of the CPI(M) who has enormous clout with the spiritual heads of the Latin Catholic and Roman Catholic churches is known for his hatred towards Hindus. Since Vijayan became all-powerful in the party and the government, Baby was relegated to the back seats and he spends most of the time attending Carnatic and Hindustani music concerts across the country.

The recent controversy regarding the meeting between M R Ajith Kumar, the ADGP of Police and RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hossabole is being portrayed as proof of Vijayan’s close links with Sangh Parivar. Sitaram Yechury, the CPI(M) general secretary, is undergoing treatment at AIIMS New Delhi and is in a critical stage, Baby and Issac chose to strike against Vijayan and they got all blessings from Brittas.

The question being asked across the State is when would Vijayan quit the chief minister’s post. Will it be after the Party Congress to be held in April 2025 or even before that? The party’s basic units like Branch Committees , Local Committees etc which are meeting right now as part of the State meeting have expressed their displeasure over the influence wielded by Vijayan and his family members.

P V Anwar, a billionaire MLA belonging to the CPI(M), has come out with corruption charges against certain party leaders and police officials who are close to Vijayan. It is widely believed that Anwar has the support of Baby, Issac and Brittas. Interestingly, M V Govindan, the party secretary who till the other day was a camp follower of Vijayan has made a volte-face and started making innuendos against the latter.

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti