CPM politburo member M A Baby's absence sets tongues wagging

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM politburo member M A Baby’s absence for the third consecutive day in the Assembly has set tongues wagging, especially in the wake of general secretary Prakash Karat’s comment in New Delhi after the central committee meeting that Mr Baby’s plea to resign the Kundara Assembly seat “is not a closed chapter”.

Mr Baby told Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday that he did not have anything to add to or subtract from what Mr Karat had stated. But as for himself he would await the outcome of the ongoing party deliberations.

It’s been reported that the central committee had referred back to the State committee Mr Baby’s request.

Taking a moral stance on his shock defeat in Kollam Lok Sabha election and the erosion of his support base by more than 6,000 votes in Kundara Assembly segment, Mr Baby had told the party leadership that he would like to claim to represent an electorate that had voted against him.  

Asked about his absence from the House and whether it wasn’t linked to the indecision on his request, Mr Baby pointed out that it was not the first time he was keeping away from the House.

“My absence is of interest to the media for its own reasons though this is not the first time that I am away”, said Mr Baby.
There’s speculation that Mr Baby, who gives up the Assembly seat, would be available for bigger organisational responsibilities. Party State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is at the end of a long innings.

He became the State boss in 1998.  So is Mr Karat who took over as the general secretary in 2005.

Mr Baby said he counted on days ahead for the party, which is due to start a multi-pronged process –theoretical, practical, organizational, behavioural and learning from the people.
The politburo mind on proposed changes would be conveyed to the central committee meeting in August Central Committee and this included the rectification process.