Denial of ticket upsets CPI(M) leader, open challenge to Pinarayi
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (March 31: HS) E P Jayarajan, Kerala Minister for Industries, declared on Monday that he would not contest in any of the elections to be held in future. Though Jayarajan cites age as the reason behind his decision not to fight any electoral battles, sources close to the minister told Hindustan Samachar that a number of intra-party issues had cropped in the CPI(M) over the last couple of years which made the former to announce his retirement from future elections.
Though Jayarajan is only 71, there are leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan (77), M M Mani (78) in the party who are fit as fiddle and actively involved in election battles. “The elevation of Mohammed Riyaz, son-in-law of Chief Minister Vijayan in the party has upset Jayarajan. The senior Marxist leader, who was the de facto No 2 in the CPI(M) was under the impression that he would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the party in the 2021 election. “This did not happen and adding insult to injury, Jayarajan was denied the ticket to contest the election,” said a source close to the minister.
Jayarajan is credited with M V Jayarajan and P Jayarajan for strengthening the party in Kannur and Kozhikode districts. “The Jayrajan triad had no qualms in finishing off persons who posed threat of any kind to the CPI(M). Now the control of CPI(M) in north Kerala has been hijacked by leaders like Riyaz and A N Shamseer, the Islamists who joined the CPI(M) as part of the Islamisation drive of the CPI(M)extremist elements. It is an open secret that Shamseer has close contacts with various Islamist organisations in the State,” said Jayarajan’s close relation.
Pinarayi Vijayan’s hatred for Jayarajans, who belong to upper caste communities is nothing new. “Vijayan doesn’t like upper caste Hindus for reasons known to him only. He is one of the accused in the gruesome murder of Vadikkal Ramakrishnan and the killing of the latter had a lot to do with his caste,” said a former associate of Vijayan.
Interestingly, Kerala minister for Public Works G Sudhakaran, former Speaker M Vijayakumar, senior leader Suresh Kurup, all were denied tickets to contest this election because of their caste, said a senior CPI(M) leader. “All the three belong to the Nair communities. P Jayarajan of Kannur also belongs to the Nair community. Vijayan has no love lost for them and it is an open secret that he does not mention former chief minister E K Nyanar’s name even once,” said the leader.
Vijayan’s hatred for the Nair community cist these leaders the chance to contest the assembly election. Similarly, the Christian community members in the party led by M A Baby, Thomas Issac, M C Josephine have formed an axis and are in touch with each other to chalk out a strategy to ease Vijayan out of the party at the opportune moment. “But they are not willing to come out openly against Vijayan because of his close links with Islamic terrorists operating from the State. “Right now, the CPI(M ) is busy trying to break the new found comradery between the BJP and the Christian community in the State. The controversy about the “attacks on Nuns from Kerala” is part of the campaign to cause a wedge between the Church and the BJP,” said Jaison Mazhuvancherry, a prominent community leader who is also the minority wing chief of Ernakulam district.
