Pinarayi Vijayan
There's a buzz going around that the CPI-M is a bit upset with the way Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is being glorified after he led the party to a historic win.
The assumption gained strength after their editorial in the latest edition of the People's Democracy, that came out, on Friday.
"There is an effort by sections of the media and some political commentators to reduce this historic victory solely to the personality and role of Pinarayi Vijayan.
"According to them, it is the emergence of a 'supreme leader' or 'strong man' that was the main reason for the electoral success of the LDF. They claim that one man dominates the government and Party".
It goes on to state that, "there is no doubt that Pinarayi Vijayan, as chief minister, set a new standard in providing political guidance to policy-making, always keeping the people's interests in mind and displaying administrative ability in getting policies implemented.
"Nevertheless, the victory is the result of both individual and collective efforts.
"As far as the CPI(M) and the LDF are concerned, the incoming ministry will continue the tradition of collective work and individual responsibility," reads the editorial.
Incidentally, none has a doubt that Vijayan has become the last word not just in the government, but also in the party and it surfaced when there was not a whimper of protest, when the decision came not to field all those who have had two successive electoral wins and also dropped a few legislators who had only one term taking the total to 33 sitting legislators being dropped.
Now all eyes are on his choice of cabinet ministers from the party and the word is that, here again it will be his call.
Incidentally, both the Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA leaders have been for a while been attacking Vijayan and describing him as an autocrat in the 'mould of Stalin and Hitler'.
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