CPM at cross roads: PB member awaiting prosecution on corruption charges

1. Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM is at cross roads, both in national level and in Kerala.  With the party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan figuring in the list of prime accused in the the 374-crore Lavalin power scam, the image of the CPM has taken a beating. The electoral debacle of the CPM in the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala owes a decent share of reasons to the CBI move to charge sheet Pinarayi Vijayan in the case. However, it is not exactly the magnitude of the scam or the public conviction on the allegations that brought shame to the CPM. But, it is the way the Centre and state leadership of the party prefers to respond to the allegations that put the CPM under cloud.
   
   Never before in the history, the CPM centre leadership succumbed to pressures of inner party politics and failed to assess the ground realities. Rather than making any efforts to initiate a cleanup process, the  Centre leadership of the CPM led by Prakash Karat  resorts to balancing acts and patch up formulas between the warring factions within the party. Being a powerful comrade who enjoys the backing of a majority of party committees, Karat and his team finds it difficult to give up comrade Vijayan. Since Vijayan bring problems to the party image, the Centre leadership refuses to pin down veteran polibureau member and Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan who (under the garb of media driven popularity) engage in anti-party statements, purportedly against his arch rival Pinarayi Vijayan. This is the first time in the history of the CPM that a politburo member is facing prosecution in a corruption case and never the party secretary in Kerala had to face trial in a corruption case. 
   
   Vijayan is accused of wrongfully awarding a contract to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovation of two power plants when he was the state power minister in 1997 in the E K Nayanar government. The CBI alleged that Vijayan, the Power Minister who presided over the award of the contract, was responsible for the loss of Rs 86 crore to the State on account of the deal, which Vijayan pursued for personal gains. Vijayan had shown undue haste to award the contract to the Canadian company. The award was giving flouting the norms. Many of the promises in the MoU were not translated in action. SNC Lavalin was first introduced as a consultancy. But later on, the consultant became the contractor. It was claimed that the SNC Lavalin would bring Rs 100 crore as grant to the Malabar Cancer centre. However, the Cancer centre received only Rs 14 crore. 
   
   Although the decision for a CBI probe was taken by the Congress-led Ministry in 2006, the CBI delayed taking it over since the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had already arraigned officials in connection with the scam.  Later the High Court directed the CBI to probe the case. The CBI questioned Vijayan and 400 other officials before filing its report in the Court, seeking to arraign Vijayan as the ninth accused and 10 others for awarding the contract. 
   
   The ghost of Lavalin deal is hunting Pinarayi Vijayan for years now. But, the magnitude of the case took a dramatic turn when the CBI sought Kerala Government’s permission to prosecute Pinatrayi Vijayan whom the CBI made the ninth accused in the case.   According to CBI, Pinarayi Vijayan had entered into a criminal conspiracy that resulted with heavy loss to the state government.
   
   When the CBI sought government permission to prosecute Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister was all in smiles and said he would discharge his constitutional duties. ``While being a party member, I am also an elected Chief Minister of the state’’, he said. Though his words created a flutter in the political circles, nothing went wrong against Vijayan.  Upon the directives of the CPM leadership, government sought Advocate General’s legal opinion in the matter.
   
    However, Advocate-General C P Sudhakara Prasad said Vijayan had acted in his capacity as the State Minister and his bona fide decisions, taken in the best interests of the State, had the protection of the law. He said that far from causing any loss to the State, Vijayan has contributed significantly during his tenure for improving the power position in Kerala. 
   
   Gavai’s decision flies in the face of the counter propaganda launched by the CPM politburo, calling it politically motivated. The Governor has virtually rejected the Cabinet recommendation and the AG opinion against according sanction for the prosecution. As expected, the CPM is up in arms against the Kerala governor’s node to CBI for the prosecution of Pinarayi in the SNC Lavalin case.
   
   The CPM cadres are out in the street shouting slogans against Governor R S Gawai , CBI and the Congress   leaders. The case would be fought legally and politically, the CPM leadership reiterates.
   
   However, it is also a known fact that, more than anyone else in the Congress led opposition camp,
   the CPM politbureau member and Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has been waging a relentless war within the party to nail Vijayan. He even made some open statements that went against the letter and spirit of the CPM stand on the SNC Lavalin case. Time and again he tried persuade the CPM politbureau to confront the allegations legally and by removing Pinarayi from the post of party secretary. However, every time Achuthanandan presented his views, the official faction of the CPM in Kerala got consolidated under the leadership of Pinarayi and the party politbureau had no options but to echo the stand taken by the party state committee in Kerala.