CPM’s seminar invite to Mani raises eyebrows

Thiruvananthapuram: While the invitation extended to Finance Minister K.M. Mani to speak at a seminar being held in connection with the CPM plenum in Palakkad on November 28 has raised several eyebrows,  the Marxist leadership says the proposed event has no political significance.

Party sources said Mani had been invited to the seminar on “Liberalisation and Alternative Policy”  as the organisers wanted someone who could present a view that would be different from the Left parties’ stand. Apart from Mani, CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury and former finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac would be speaking at the seminar to be held at Cheriyakotta Maidan.

The invite to Mani had earlier led to speculations that the CPM was trying to reach out to the Kerala Congress (M) supremo in view of his 'differences’ with the Congress. Recently, some of the top CPM leaders had branded him as “chief minister” in a bid to create confusion in the UDF.

A section  of  organisers, however, expects Mani to speak against the UPA policies, especially on the Centre’s liberal policy on import of  rubber.