Nayanar govt under heavy fire from CPI--M bigwigs

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The state committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist has hauled up the 10-month-old E K Nayanar government in Kerala for its inept handling of recent agitations there.

This comes close on the heels of the state secretariat's labelling the government as 'corrupt and inefficient.'

The state committee meeting, attended by party secretary general Harkishan Singh Surjeet, expressed extreme displeasure at the way the government, led by the CPI-M, is running its affairs. It was particularly critical about the way Nayanar delayed suspending load shedding during the state school leaving examinations, even after Congress-led agitations broke out state-wide. The agitations have, besides uniting the warring Congress factions, brought together an otherwise-divided Opposition, members pointed out.

State Excise Minister T Sivadasa Menon's announcement to open 1,000 new liquor outlets, and his overnight backtracking on it, also came under heavy fire in the meeting. This U-turn has led many to question the government's ability to take decisions. Menon should have discussed the matter in the party forum before making such crucial announcements, members said.

Political analysts consider the committee's displeasure extremely significant as it is from this forum that the government draws its strength. The criticisms, analysts say, indicate the resurgence of the trade union group in the party after its nominee Susheela Gopalan lost the race for chief ministership in the state committee by one vote.

The state secretariat is already dominated by the trade union wing. The V S Achuthanandan group which sustained Chief Minister Nayanar in his chair, too, is displeased with him. In fact, Achuthanandan himself has openly criticised many of the government's policies.