Kollam: CP John, a former fire brand leader of CPM, who left the party to join late MV Raghavan led CMP in mid 1980s, launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of transforming the CPM into an extension of the government and turning the government into a mere arm of the party. 

John, who parted ways with the CPM in the mid-1980s following his mentor  M.V. Raghavan, criticised Vijayan for consolidating absolute control over both the party and the administration.

Raghavan was expelled from the CPM following an internal power struggle after advocating an alliance with the Kerala Congress and the IUML - a move that went against the party’s official stance.

"One watches with bated breath what is unfolding at the ongoing four-day CPM state conference, which has been completely hijacked by Vijayan. Today, CPI-M leaders in Kerala have been politically castrated - everything the party once stood for has been discarded under Vijayan, who has taken over both the government and the party," said John.

At the conference, Vijayan introduced a series of proposals that run counter to the party’s traditional positions. These include imposing a cess for government services, implementing sweeping changes in the education sector - some of which have already begun -- and seeking private sector involvement to revive struggling public sector enterprises.

"What is happening at this conference is unprecedented. Instead of discussing the party’s future, the focus has shifted to government programmes. Vijayan, who already controls the government, is now tightening his grip on the party as well," John added.

Drawing parallels with the fate of the CPM in West Bengal, John warned that the Kerala unit risks meeting a similar downfall.

"This is exactly what happened in West Bengal, and we all know where the party stands there now. With the state conference rubber-stamping Vijayan’s proposals without a murmur, no party worker dares to raise their voice, fearing the consequences," he said.

John, who now heads the Communist Marxist Party (CMP), is a key ally of the Congress-led UDF and is widely regarded as one of its main strategists.