Heads Likely to Roll in Alappuzha CPI(M) Unit of Kerala: Sources

Thiruvananthapuram, June 5 (IANS) As many as CPI(M) 35 senior leaders of Kerala's Kannur district have been served notices over "factionalism" in the party and explanations sought before June 10.

State party secretary M.V.Govindan initiated the action based on the report of the party probe commission headed by senior leader and former State Minister T.P.Ramakrishnan.

The explanations will then be scrutinised in the next state committee meeting of the party and sources in the know of things say that it wouldn't be surprising if a few heads roll.

According to the sources, often billed as the most powerful in the state, the Alappuzha district unit of the party has been facing deep-rooted factionalism and bickering for the past two decades, but of late things are going from bad to worse.

On and off, the party has had problems and it was in this district that the legendary party veteran V.S.Achuthanandan, billed to become the Chief Minister, lost the 1996 polls at the Mararikulam Assembly constituency.

After things were sorted out, a new set of leaders took over with one section aligned behind then State Minister G.Sudhakaran and another State Minister Thomas Issac.

Though for nearly two decades the difference of opinion between the two blew hot and cold, things did not go out of hand, but after the two veteran's now losing grip, the present day rival factions are now headed by State Culture and Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian and Alappuzha district CPI-M secretary- R.Nassar, the sources say.

Things took a turn for the worse in the past one year and the best efforts of the top leadership also went in vain. To rein in the situation, Govindan appointed a
two-member Commission to probe the factionalism in the district.

Ramakrishnan's report has indicted none other than the Alappuzha party legislator P.P.Chitharanjan and also Manu C.Pulikan, the closest aide of Cherian and 33 others.

These leaders have now been asked to give their explanation, which will be examined by the next State Committee meeting-highest decision body of the party and the probability of a few heads rolling cannot be ruled out.