With the implosion in the Indian National League (INL) waiting to happen, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] will adopt a wait-and-watch approach in the coming days over the churning within its minor partner.
At this juncture, Minister for Ports Ahamed Devarkovil, who is aligned with the Kasim Irrikur faction, faces no immediate threat to his ministership for various reasons. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan does not want to ouster a Minister from a party with a lone legislator before completing 100 days in office.
Sources said the CPI(M) State leadership preferred the Kasim-Ahamed axis which has an upper hand in the INL rather than favouring the faction led by A.P. Abdul Wahab. Besides, each faction would have to prove its strength internally even as the Central leadership of that party would want to be part of the government.
However, the bitter infighting in the party and the corruption charges against its leaders are posing a headache for the government. The CPI(M) is equally worried that the image of the coalition as a well-knit alliance will take a beating in the coming days, especially after it went out of its way to provide a ministerial berth for the small party.
Acrimonious power struggle, ego clash between the State president and general secretary and aggressive political expansionist plans have now culminated in the two warring factions coming to blows in Kochi on Sunday.
When Mr. Devarkovil was inducted into the Cabinet, leaders and cadre of the INL were elated that the 27-year-old party formed by Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait got due recognition after it broke away from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) following the Babri Masjid demolition. During the period, the INL witnessed some of its leaders, including Sait’s children and former MLA P.M.A. Salam, joining the IUML.
Sources said the CPI(M) had been ambitiously and energetically wooing the Muslim electorate in Kozhikode as well as in the neighbouring districts through the INL and other fringe groups such as National Secular Conference led by P.T.A. Rahim, MLA. But the turmoil in that party would blot the image of the coalition.
