Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 (IANS) Denying media reports that there was a crisis in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, the ruling coalition said there was no question of removing Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.
“There is no crisis as reported in the media in the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and also in the government. The question of removing Achuthanandan from the post of chief minister is not at all there. There was no discussion to this effect at the party secretariat meeting held yesterday,” LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan told reporters in Kozhikode. The CPI-M leads the LDF.

The remarks came after there were reports that CPI-M’s Kerala secretariat meeting Friday demanded Achuthanandan’s resignation for not toeing the party line on party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.

Achuthanandan had reportedly displayed hesitation to abide by his party directive to forward a report of the advocate general to Governor R.S. Gavai giving a clean chit to Vijayan in the case. He finally had to give in.

The factional feud in the Kerala CPI-M comes at a time when the third anniversary of the LDF government is just over a week away.

“This kind of open wrangling in the party has dented not only the party’s image but also that of the government,” a CPI-M legislator said on condition of anonymity.

The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has been quick to seize the opportunity and hold protests May 18, the day when the LDF came to power three years ago.

“The LDF government’s buzzword was corruption free governance. Today this government is working hard on how to protect and shield the corrupt,” said Congress leader Oommen Chandy.