Kerala Assembly elections 2016: Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala hits out at CPI(M)

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday took a dig at CPI(M) in Kerala alleging that factionalism in the Opposition party has reached its "pinnacle" and claimed even its General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri was unable to contain it.

The objective of CPI(M) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan was to do a repeat of the 1996 Assembly election, in which veteran leader V S Achutanandan had lost in Mararikulam constituency, the state Home Minister said.

The minister's comment came a day after Vijayan stoked a controversy by saying that a resolution passed by the party against Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan still exists. 

"The factionalism in CPI(M) has reached its pinnacle. It has grown to such a proportion that even party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury could not contain it," Chennithala said.

"Pinarayi's statement that Achutanandan had indulged in anti-party activities was a signal to the party workers in Malampuzha (from where Achuthanandan is contesting in the May 16 assembly polls)," he said, adding, that it also showed that the "in fight and factionalism" within the party had not ended.

The minister also alleged that the leaders, close to Achuthanandan, had been denied tickets in the assembly polls as part of Pinarayi's "secret agenda to end Achutanandan era" in the Left party. Vijayan is contesting from Dharmadam in Kannur while Achuthanandan from Malampuzha in Palakkad district.