VS, Pinarayi factions trying to wrest control

KOCHI:  With factional feuds intensifying in Ernakulam district and party conferences beginning from the branch level this month, senior CPM leaders are frantic and meeting district level leaders and other cadres for consolidating their position.CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan had camped in the district for about three days this week and held talks with many of the senior leaders in the district.Vijayan is learned to have met four area committee secretaries and district secretariat members at the Aluva palace where he was camping. Achuthanandan, who was also at the Aluva Palace, met some district leaders who are close to him. CITU state president K N Raveendranath held discussions with Achuthanandan at the guest house. Party district secretary M V Govindan and K A Chackochan, a known VS loyalist and  who is alleged to have levelled charges against Gopi Kottamurickal, also held closed door meetings with the leader.During the meetings, both Vijayan and Achuthanandan are known to have discussed with the leaders the recent situation that has arisen after Gopi Kottamurickal was removed from the post of Ernakulam district secretary on charges of misconduct. It is learned that the leaders had discussed elaborately with the district leadership about the strategies that have to be adopted ahead of the party conferences.The official faction led by Vijayan, which has only a few of the area committees on its side, will be finalising strategies for bringing in more of the committees to their side. Senior leaders S Sharma and K Chandran pillai, known lieutenants of Achuthnandan, have almost been silenced by the official faction.On the other hand, Achuthanandan is known to have asked the leaders to maintain a slow pace. The VS faction will be ringing on the Kottamurickal issue during the party conferences and most of the discussions are likely to be centred around this. Moreover, the controversies related to the leaders belonging to the Pinarayi faction will also be highlighted at the party meetings.