KANNUR: The group war in the CPM has took a new turn as a result of the developments that followed the visit of Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan to the house of expelled CPM veteran, Berlin Kunhanandhan Nair.The winner of the latest tussle between the Pinarayi-led official wing and the dissenters led by Achuthandndan is, evidently, the latter.VS, who doesn’t have much followers on the home turf of Pinarayi Vijayan, had made a calculated move by accepting the invitation of Berlin Kunhanandhan Nair, to visit his house. Berlin Nair had been virtually disowned by VS ever since his expulsion from the party.VS also hadn’t cared to say even a word of support to rescue Berlin even when the decision to oust him from the party came out a couple of years ago. VS, obviously used Berlin as a stick to beat his rivals in the party.Berlin Nair, despite having no followers among the CPM cadres, had provided ideological weapons to VS to fight the official wing led by Pinarayi. In fact, VS had gained a lot of moral strength during his visits to Berlin Nair in the past. He had made it a point to meet Nair during every one of his visits here.The Kannur lobby which was instrumental in isolating VS in the party and ousting him from the Politburo, was visibly annoyed by his meetings with Berlin. Even the decision to expel Berlin Nair from the party was part of a move to stop the visits of VS to Kannur.The prevailing assumption among the party bigwigs was that a responsible party functionary couldn’t keep contact with an ‘expelled colleague’.Not surprisingly, the indomitable Berlin Nair, continued to be a thorn in the flesh of the CPM leadership. He knew that VS couldn’t let him down so easily. When VS accepted his invitation to visit him, the vociferous Nair chose to spill the beans and give one more blow to ‘Pinarayi and company’.And, VS followed it up with equal vigour, keeping an eye on the conferences to be held in connection with coming party congress. His comments in support of his suspended followers in the party were another step in that direction.Now, the official leadership of the CPM has come out with a clear move to ‘checkmate’ VS with an open statement condemning his actions, the stage is set for another internecine war in the party, before the all-important party congress scheduled to take place in Kozhikode.The biggest puzzle that surprises political observers now is the expanding mass base of the octogenarian VS and the shrinking influence of the official wing opposed to him in the party.
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