KOTTTAYAM: There has been growing tension between the CPM and BJP cadres in Kumarakom and nearby areas leading to the eruption of violence. In the latest incident, the CPM's Illickal local committee office in Thiruvarppu panchayat was attacked on Wednesday night. The people fear that it may develop into a major law and order situation in the area. The BJP had proved its strength in Kumarakom panchayat, a traditional CPM stronghold, during the panchayat elections in 2015 when it secured two seats--the 12th and 18th wards--out of the total 16.
The BJP also came second in two other wards with the help of the SNDP- floated Bharathiya Dharma Jana Sena which has sizeable Ezhava comunity votes. The CPM has nine members in the panchayat and the Congress and the CPI one each. “We have to find out the culprits behind the attack on the Illickal office as some extremist organisations may be involved,” CPM district secretariat member K. Anil Kumar told DC. BJP state council member and former district president Ettumanur Radhakrishnan said the friction between the two parties had been existing for some time after many CPM activists joined the BJP.
