Amid reports of differences with the party, former Devikulam MLA S. Rajendran attended a meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] after a gap of two years.
Mr. Rajendran attended the Devikulam Assembly constituency election convention of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) ahead of the Lok Sabha election at Munnar on Sunday. Udumbanchola MLA M.M. Mani, CPI(M) former district secretary K.K. Jayachandran and LDF candidate in the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency Joyce George, among others, attended the meeting.
Talks held
According to party sources, Mr. Rajendran participated in the conference after CPI(M) district secretary C.V. Varghese, among others, visited Mr. Rajendran on Saturday and held discussions. After the intervention, Mr. Rajendran decided to attend the meeting.
“I will work for the victory of the LDF candidate at my level. I have already discussed my issues with the party leaders, and I hope they know them,” said Mr. Rajendran.
CPI(M) Munnar area secretary K.K. Vijayan said Mr. Rajendran would continue with the party. “As a party follower, he cannot avoid attending party meetings and will work to ensure the victory of the LDF candidate. Differences within the party are normal, and they will be resolved. The renewal of membership will be completed soon,” said Mr. Vijayan.
Mr. Rajendran announced recently that he would not renew his party membership and cited disagreements with district secretariat member K.V. Sasi for this. Following this, the party leadership intervened to resolve the issue and ensure Mr. Rajendran’s participation in the meeting.
According to sources, the party sped up the initiatives after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly made efforts to woo Mr. Rajendran. “If a senior leader and former MLA from the CPI(M) joins the BJP, it will seriously affect the party. To avoid such a situation, the leadership suddenly intervened. Mr. Rajendran’s influence among the Tamil community is also behind the move,” said a party source.
In December 2021, the CPI(M) Idukki district committee recommended stringent action against Mr. Rajendran for lapses during the Assembly polls. Based on these findings, the party leadership suspended him for one year in February 2022. Since the previous Assembly elections, Mr. Rajendran has maintained a distance with the party.
