Kochi: Why CPM was biased against the die hard communist V S Achuthanandan who faced opposition from a section within the party deserved greater laurels for his unparalleled and inimitable governance as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011 is a question which perhaps has no answer, political observers said.
Achuthanandan lost the assembly election from Mararikkulam in 1996 allegedly due to a rival group acting against him leading to his defeat and crowning of E K Nayanar as the Chief Minister as planned by the Kannur lobby.
Congress leader P J Francis, who defeated VS in Mararikulam, had told an English daily that the disillusioned CPM workers did not vote for VS.
VS nearly missed the chance to become the Chief Minister in 2006 when the party denied him a seat in the assembly polls. The 82-year-old veteran communist was not the one to accept defeat so easily as he successfully got a ticket to contest and became the Chief Minister despite strong opposition.
Even after becoming the Chief Minister, his wings were clipped as all important files had to be ratified by the state unit of the party headed by Pinarayi Vijayan.
He was deprived of Home Ministry portfolio.
His tenure as Chief Minister was marred by spat between him and then party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan who was pardoned by the party while VS was expelled from the politburo in 2009 for never to return.
He was dropped from Politburo for openly accusing his bĂŞte noir, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the SNC Lavalin scam.
VS was at loggerheads with Pinarayi Vijayan in the Rs 350 crore SNC Lavalin scam for which he gave nod for prosecution of Vijayan. The case is still pending before Supreme Court.
Achuthanandan fell out with Karat being partial to Vijayan bringing him closer to late party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who too backed VS.
This made the Vijayan faction turn against Yechuri.
The CPM led by VS came close to winning second time in 2011, but was short by four seats mainly due to party factionalism.
The cpm state conference at Alappuzha in 2015 was the most unforgettable event for VS who was accused of fostering indiscipline and factionalism in the party forcing him to walk out of the venue.
He was projected as prospective Chief Ministerial candidate in 2015 assembly when he won from Malampuzha but was ditched by the party paving the way for Pinarayi Vijayan becoming the Chief Minister.
VS fought the sensational corruption case against former Chief Minister K Karunakaran for about two decades. He waged a war up to the Supreme court in the sexual harassment case involving former minister P K Kunhalikkutty.
He was instrumental in sending former state minister R Balakrishna Pillai behind bars in a corruption case.
At 96 years VS fought a land case in Kerala High Court against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
VS’ historic mission against encroachments in the state made him a hero among the people, the observers said.
Why CPM ignored VS?
