By IANS
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday suspended Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his rival Pinarayi Vijayan from the politburo in a desperate bid to end their unending public row that has embarrassed the Stalinist party.
The CPI-M, which for months had been trying to end their feud, finally cracked the whip at a politburo meeting here after Achuthanandan and his long-time foe traded charges against each other even hours before flying to New Delhi.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, whose authority had been undermined by their public spat, announced the suspension at a press conference after the top decision body ended its meeting.
But even while announcing the harsh decision, Karat made it clear that Achuthanandan, whose popularity in Kerala is now at its zenith, would remain the chief minister and Vijayan too would continue to be the powerful secretary of the CPI-M's Kerala unit.
And in a sign that the CPI-M has no intention of moving further against the two men at least for now, a resolution seeking their suspension described them as "comrades".
Another resolution said the politburo "appreciated the performance of the LDF (Left Democratic Front) government headed by Achuthanandan".
The politburo meeting was attended 13 of its 17 members including Achuthanandan and Vijayan. Both men, humiliated, immediately left for Kerala.
This is the first time the politburo of CPI-M, since the party's birth in 1964, has suspended a politburo member.
Earlier, it had banished another former chief minister, Nirpen Chakraborty of Tripura, for attacking his then West Bengal counterpart Jyoti Basu. Chakraborty was "rehabilitated" only days before he died.
Achuthanandan and Vijayan have been at loggerhead for years, and the party's leadership – Karat is also from Kerala – had been struggling to patch up their differences but without success.
On Saturday, the politburo moved a resolution after studying "certain remarks and criticism regarding each other (made) to the media".
"The open criticism and remarks made by the two senior leaders in Kerala have violated the norms of the party and the clear directive of the politburo and the central committee that the state party leadership should not air their differences publicly," said Karat, reading out from the resolution.
"The politburo concluded that such behaviour is unacceptable from members of the politburo and (that) action should be taken. The politburo decided to suspend V.S. Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan from the politburo and place the matter before the central committee for its consideration."
The politburo statement said: "The two comrades will continue to discharge all their other party responsibilities. All other matters pertaining to Kerala unit will be discussed by the politburo with the Kerala state committee."
The Achuthanandan-Vijayan row took an ugly turn just before Kerala assembly elections last year when the former was denied ticket to contest. His supporters blamed Vijayan for the fiasco, and public protests forced the CPI-M politburo to reconsider its decision and allow Achuthanandan to contest. After winning, the man who has risen from the ranks went on to become the chief minister.
But right from day one, Achuthanandan, often called a hardliner, and Vijayan, who leads a faction known as moderates, refused to patch up.
The latest infighting intensified after the chief minister ordered the razing of illegal constructions in the tourist hub of Munnar in Kerala.
In a sudden development, both men took on each other publicly Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram. Even as the party watched in horror, they were still trading charges a day later, knowing well the politburo would discuss the issue.
Indeed, before leaving for New Delhi, reacting to Vijayan's allegation that he did not behave like a "responsible politburo member", Achuthanandan retorted: "Instead of lecturing me on my behaviour, (Vijayan) should ask himself whether his conduct and comments are expected of a politburo member."
While Vijayan enjoys majority support in the state unit, Achuthananandan's public popularity is at its zenith, particularly after he ordered the demolition of illegal constructions on encroached land. Much of Kerala's vibrant media has sided with the chief minister.
Most CPI-M MPs from Kerala are also with the chief minister but most of his ministers are Vijayan supporters, deeply dividing a party that heads the state's ruling LDF.