How Pinrayi Vijayan beat Achuthanandan in the Kerala CM race

Updated: Friday, May 20, 2016, 17:56 [IST]

New Delhi, May 20: The CPI(M) has decided to go ahead with Pinrayi Vijayan as the Chief Minister. However the next big challenge for the party would be to ensure that a repeat of the 2006 to 2011 scenario does not happen once again.

Both Pinrayi Vijayan and V S Achuthanandan had to be sent out of the politburo after embarrassing face off between the two were reported. This time for the CPI(M) the call was a tough one.

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At the last minute, Achuthanandan indicated that he was in the race for the post of Chief Minister.

He was the star campaigner of the party after all. However Vijayan has a majority in the state committee and is younger than Achuthanandan which gave him the edge.

Calming tempers:
Sources say that Achuthanandan was clearly upset for not being chosen for the coveted post. He had repeatedly told the leadership that he is instrumental for the victory in Kerala.

He had even suggested that he be made the Chief Minister for the first six months and then the mantle could be handed over to Vijayan.

However the leadership did not want to take that risk as it feared that there could be a face down when the time to hand over power came.

The two leaders have had several problems in the past. Moreover the party also felt that Vijayan whois younger to Achuthanandan would deliver the goods.

The party is in a desperate need for an image make over and winning Kerala after being beaten in West Bengal came as a relief to the party. They want a Chief Minister who will deliver the goods and since Vijayan is younger they felt he would be more suited for the job.

When Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister between 2006 and 2011 there were several fights reported.

This had led to the party sending both the leaders out of the politburo. Vijayan had been reinstated, but Achuthanandan was an invitee to the central committee.
Achuthanandan according to sources was obviously disappointed.

He made his displeasure felt by leaving the meeting without uttering a word. However at the time Vijayan's name was being proposed, he did not stake any claim, sources also say.

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