Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 With the Kerala unit of the CPI-M successfully poaching into the Congress and getting two party general secretaries into their fold, the Left party is upbeat to the extent of hoping against hope to do the same with the BJP carry out a successful plunder.
It was last week that within two days, the "prize catch", according to the words of politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan that the CPI-M managed to get K.P.Anil Kumar (general secretary in charge of organisation) and one who held the keys of the Congress headquarters here.
The very next day another general secretary Rathi Kumar walked out of the Congress' and right into the CPI-M headquarters and was greeted by Balakrishnan, who draped him in their traditional red shawl.
After successfully staging the coup, the Kerala CPI-M, which is currently the strongest unit in the country, is now looking towards the BJP and on their target list are two top guns one, former State party president C.K.Padmanabhan, who was pitted against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his home turf Dharmadom in Kannur district in the April 6 assembly polls.
One reason why Padmanabhan's name is being pitched is the way he has taken a stand against the state unit of the party in certain issues and moreover he is an yesteryear youth wing leader of the CPI-M's Democratic Youth Federation of India and one who hails from Kannur the citadel of the CPI-M.
Another top BJP leader, whose name is making the rounds is 74-year-old once 'strong' former organising secretary of the Kerala BJP P.P.Mukundan, who also hails from Kannur.
Mukundan is known for his wide ranging connections cutting across political affiliations. For over a decade he has not been having the best of relations with the successive top BJP leadership.
Speaking to , a media critic on condition of anonymity said nothing is impossible in politics as present day foes become friends and vice versa and it happens in politics more frequently than elsewhere.
"Time and again Kerala has seen crossing over from one party to the other and the last biggest surprise was in 2012 when a CPI-M legislator quit the party crossed over to the Congress party and won the byelection.
"Once popular BJP leader in Kannur, O.K.Vas,u a few years back crossed over to the CPI-M. So nothing is impossible in politics and none need to be surprised if crossing over takes place," said the critic and added that with the CPI-M weakening across the country, the Kerala unit knows it has the onus on itself to keep the flag flying high here and now that they have retained power here, they are on a strong footing and those crossing over also will have that in mind.
Putting up a brave face was Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan who tried to play down the quitting of two party leaders by saying, nothing is going to happen to the Congress party, even if I leave the Congress.
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