Friday, February 18 2005 14:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: Four-day State conference of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) beginning at Malappuram tomorrow (Feb 19, 2005) is likely to witness a showdown between the factions led by State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and war-scarred veteran V S Achuthanandan to gain control of the State committee emerging out of the triennial meet.

The outcome of the Malappuram meet is all the more significant, as the group seizing control of the State committee and secretariat would have a decisive say in deciding the shape of the Government in the event of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) winning the Assembly election due in an year.

Chances of a compromise between the rival sides appear to have receded with the two leaders expressing conflicting views in articles in the party organ on issues involved in the long-drawn inner-struggles in the party, which had their reflection in the local, area and district level meets completed ahead of the State conference.

According to Achuthanandan, the prime task of the Malappuram meet would be to purge the party of the influences of ideologies totally alien to Marxist-Leninist basics and other deviationist trends.

Vijayan, on the other hand, argues that the clamour that the party still suffered from ideological aberrations was nothing but propaganda unleashed by the enemies of the party with the help of bourgeoisie media.

The district meets, crucial in the internal democratic process of the party, had turned as grimly fought affairs between the two factions to wrest control of new committees and selection of delegates for the State meet.

According to reports, the Achuthanadan faction had gained a clear edge in majority of districts. This time round, Achuthanandan had also enlisted support from the so-called Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) faction, which was his prime target in the last State meet.

However, the Vijayan camp believes that despite the rival side's bravado, it is not going to be easy for Achuthanandan to ride roughshod over the opponents at Malappuram.

An old-guard and traditional Marxist, Achuthanandan had chosen to take on his rivals accusing them of being soft to deviationist trends like the, 'Fourth world theory' propounded by the expelled ideologue M P Parameswaran, which in essence argues for the party adapting itself to the changing times and contemporary realities. He had also targetted his rivals by seizing on the issue of foreign funding for research programmes undertaken as part of the 'People's Plan' campaign implemented when the LDF was in power.

The senior leader's argument had been that the party was still not totally free from invasionist and deviationist influences which need to be fought to the finish.

Vijayan had, however, repeatedly said that the 'Fourth world' issue is a closed chapter as far as the party is concerned since its propounder had been expelled and all those who showed sympathy to him admitted mistake.