Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 25 With skeletons of corruption tumbling out of the Kerala unit of CPI(M)'s cupboard, the "upright and vocal" image of the ruling party appears to have taken a beating.
The man on the radar is none other than Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is passing through his worst ever times after allegations of corruption against him and his family are flowing thick and fast.
Ever since the income tax department’s perusal of the papers of Kochi-based mining company CMRL came out in the open, his daughter Veena Vijayan has come under fire.
Investigations have revealed that her company was paid Rs 1.72 crore for no services rendered and then began a war of words when first time Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnaden revealed much more and left the CPI(M) and its top brass running for cover.
Despite ten days of the news, neither Vijayan, nor Veena or her husband- State Minister for Tourism P.A.Mohammed Riyas has spoken a word on it.
TV channels also showed the party spokesperson K. Anilkumar walking out of news debates unable to either clarify or come out with convincing responses on questions on Veena’s IT firm.
And, if this wasn't enough, came the news the other day of a 22-hour-long raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at the residence of senior CPI(M) legislator and former State Minister of Cooperation A.C.Moideen.
The raid revealed that many benami loans disbursed by the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank Ltd in Thrissur- the home district of Moideen was on his instructions.
In an official release, the probe agency said they "conducted search operations under PMLA, 2002 on 22/08/2023 at five locations across the state of Kerala as part of investigation against benamis and beneficiaries who siphoned off
bank funds of more than Rs 150 crore from the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank'.
What has come as a huge shocker to the party is Moideen being asked to appear at the Kochi office of ED on Thursday.
Meanwhile, on Friday, State Congress president K.Sudhakaran is appearing before a local court to testify against state CPI(M) secretary M.V.Govindan in a defamation case he has filed for his curt remarks linking Sudhakaran in a Pocso case.
A media critic, on condition of anonymity, said never before the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) has been caught in multiple issues to this extent.
“The otherwise vocal national leadership of the CPI(M) known for coming out with statements if this happens in other parties, has nothing to say about what’s happening to their party in Kerala. The sight of general secretary Sitaram Yechuri ducking the media when asked about the turn of events in the Kerala unit reveals the state of affairs in the CPI(M),” said the critic.
Even Vijayan, who is known for his very open attack on his detractors for the past six months, has not opened his mouth and when many thought he clear the air on all the allegations at the election rally at Puthuppally, his rare public appearance on Thursday evening in the past six months, but it did not happen.
So, now one has to wait till September 11th when the Assembly resumes its present session which was put on hold after the Puthupally by-election date was announced.
Puthupally will go to polls on September 5 and votes counted on September 8.
All eyes are on September 11, when the new Puthupally legislator gets sworn in. Taking into consideration the current scenario, chances of a Left candidate winning the polls appears slim.
And if it happens, then Vijayan will be breathing easy, if not only time will tell.
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