Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan silent over bypoll defeat, CPM yet to decide on probe

KOCHI: Even three days after the declaration of Thrikkakara bypoll result, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan remains tight-lipped on what led to the defeat of the LDF candidate. Though Ernakulam the district secretariat suggested a probe into the aspects that led to the failure of LDF, it is up to the state secretariat and state committee to give the final nod for a detailed inquiry.
The Ernakulam district committee had initially suggested K S Arun Kumar, who is a member of the committee, as the candidate. "But two state secretariat members identified Dr Jo Joseph as the candidate. They succeeded in getting his candidature endorsed by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. They silenced the district committee too," said political observer N M Pearson.
"Vijayan depended on these state secretariat members. Now, if a detailed inquiry is carried out, fingers will be pointed at the chief minister and the two state secretariat members. That might be the reason for the chief minister keeping mum on the issue even after three days since the election result was out," Pearson said.
Once the candidature of Joseph was announced, the chief minister directly took over the control of the election campaign.
Though CPM Ernakulam district secretary C N Mohanan told media that it was as per the request of the district leadership that Vijayan attended election conventions, even the party rank and file don't buy that argument.
All the mega public meetings conducted as part of the campaign were attended by the chief minister as star campaigner. "While the campaign to Thrikkakara bypoll was progressing, CPM politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat was there in Thiruvananthapuram to attend another programme. Still, Karat was not invited to Thrikkakara. No other national leaders were invited," sources with the party said.
Many of the party leaders are of the view that the mega campaign under the leadership of the chief minister succeeded only in giving unwanted attention to the bypoll and creating a general perception that it is something more than a "byelection" to a seat held by the UDF.
If a proper probe is conducted, the K-Rail factor, which could have influenced the voters, will also have to be explored and the party leadership wishes to avoid such a situation.