Kasaragod (Kerala) | Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Sunday claimed that the CPI could reconsider its association with the LDF in view of its differences with the CPI(M) over the demand for the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly.
Speaking to reporters here, Unnithan referred to Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan's recent remarks that the demand for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition's post was a "closed chapter" and would not be conceded to the CPI.
He said the CPI had publicly rejected that stand, maintaining that the issue could not be decided unilaterally by Vijayan or the CPI(M) and that the party would not compromise on its demand.
"A conflict has begun in the Opposition. I don't know where it will end. Just as the CPI left the coalition in 1969, if the party feels it cannot continue in the LDF by sacrificing its self-respect, the possibility of it thinking about the UDF cannot be ruled out," Unnithan said.
He claimed the statements made by the CPI and CPI(M) leaders reflected growing differences within the alliance.
"They are like two railway tracks that never meet. They only run parallel. These developments will eventually lead to the destruction of the alliance," he said.
Asked whether the CPI had found the courage to oppose Vijayan only after the LDF lost power, Unnithan said it was common for people to flatter those in power and criticise them after they lost office.
"When a person is in power, several avatars emerge around him. It is those avatars who mislead people in power," he said.
Referring to Vijayan's security arrangements while he was Chief Minister, Unnithan said he had once travelled with a convoy of around 60 vehicles but now moved with only a pilot vehicle.
He contrasted it with Chief Minister V D Satheesan's convoy of three vehicles.
"Those convoy vehicles were a luxury that deviated from the communist way of life," he alleged.
Unnithan further claimed that the CPI(M) had drifted away from its ideology as a party of workers and ordinary people.
"The party's leaders have now become children of crony capitalism. Vijayan is an example of that. The communists are now returning to reality," he said.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition issue has triggered differences within the LDF after the CPI renewed its demand for the post following the Assembly elections. While Vijayan has maintained that the issue is closed, CPI leaders have insisted that it remains open and should be discussed within the LDF.
