CPM rebels' meet declares support to Achuthanandan

Kochi: The CPM on Sunday faced an Onchiyam-model rebellion here with nearly 400 of the party workers at Elamkunnapuzha coming together to challenge the party’s district leadership. The rebel convention also declared its support to Opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan.

The rebels under the leadership of suspended Elamkunnapuzha local committee secretary of the party, K.L. Dileep Kumar, formed a cultural organization which was named after former CPM Njarackal MLA A.S. Purushothaman to carry forward the movement.

Party cadre attended the convention ignoring a warning of CPM district secretary Dinesh Mani that strict action would be taken against those attending it. According to sources, as many as 179 party workers who attended the convention announced their decision to resign from the CPM.

Dileep Kumar inaugurated the convention while Shanmugham presided. A representation of the rebels would soon call on Achuthanandan to seek his support, the sources said.

Trouble began at the Elamkunnapuzha local committee after Dileep Kumar violated the party diktat and contested to the president’s post of Karthedam service cooperative bank.

He defeated CPM nominee and was subsequently suspended from the party. The grouse of the rebels was that the party district leadership imposed its candidate on them without taking into consideration the sentiments of the local cadre.