Poster blitz against Pinarayi in red citadels

KASARGOD: Flex boards and banners have appeared in different parts of the district running down CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan for his alleged role in the Lavalin issue.

Interestingly, all the posters and banners have appeared in party strongholds, making it doubly discomfiting for the party. However, some boards have been removed by party workers.

A prominent banner which appeared on the National Highway at Thrikkaripur,a CPM bastion, read: ‘Pinarayi – The name of the place where Communist party was formed; Pinarayi Vijayan – the demon of death of the Communist party in Kerala’.

The flex board made its appearance in the morning in the party. Local people said CPM dissidents were guarding the board following strong pressure from party’s official wing to dismantle the board.

However, the board in Neeleswaram town was removed by party workers. It had the following words: “History will not pardon Pinarayi Vijayan who remains on the anti-people side.” Another board had more sarcasm: “The one-man march of Pinarayi will conclude at the central jail after passing through Pallivasal, Chengulam and Panniyar.” Emulating the well-known words of a German communist that “History will absolve me,” another board said “History will not absolve Pinarayi Vijayan.” Meanwhile, the Lavalin controversy has dampened the spirit of party cadres who had enthusiastically put up boards and banners on Vijayan’s Nava Kerala March, which starts from Uppla on February 2.

Only a few boards have appeared here since the Lavalin controversy broke out.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan’s silence on CPM State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan’s involvement in the SNC-Lavalin deal should be suspected as an attempt to push the issue under the wraps, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

Chennithala said in a statement that Achuthanandan should declare the LDF Government’s stand on the issue.

Before the elections, both Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan had announced that they were ready for an investigation into the SNC-Lavalin deal, but now, the CPM Politburo has also taken a diametrically opposite stand saying that the case was politically motivated.