Thiruvananthapuram, May 18 (IANS) After suffering a bruising electoral setback and growing criticism within his own party district committee meetings, Kerala’s former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan now finds himself facing yet another politically uncomfortable moment, this time from the newly sworn-in government led by V. D. Satheesan.

In a move loaded with symbolism and political messaging, the Satheesan cabinet, in its first meeting after the oath ceremony earlier today, has decided to recommend former CPI-M leader G. Sudhakaran as the pro-tem Speaker of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly, which convenes for the first time on May 21.

Though the post of pro-tem Speaker is technically assigned to the senior-most MLA as per constitutional convention, the appointment has acquired enormous political significance given Sudhakaran’s bitter fallout with the CPI-M leadership and his open rebellion against Vijayan.

Sudhakaran had contested from Ambalappuzha as an independent after revolting against the CPI-M leadership and emerged victorious, turning his election battle into a direct political challenge to what critics call the unquestioned supremacy of Vijayan within the party.

His victory was widely seen as a protest against the erosion of inner-party democracy in the CPI-M.

Now, in a dramatic twist of fate, it is Sudhakaran who will preside over the Assembly on its opening day when all newly elected legislators are sworn in.

The biggest political question in Kerala at the moment is whether Vijayan will appear before his former cabinet colleague and political dissenter to take oath as an MLA.

For a leader known for his authority and commanding grip over the party, being administered the oath with Sudhakaran at the helm is viewed in political circles as a deeply embarrassing spectacle.

Sources close to Vijayan indicate that he may skip the first-day swearing-in ceremony and instead take the oath later before the permanent Speaker, who is expected to be senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on May 22.

Assembly rules permit members who miss the first-day ceremony before the pro-tem Speaker to take the oath later before the elected Speaker.

The developments come at a particularly difficult time for Vijayan.

District committee meetings of the CPI-M have reportedly witnessed sharp criticism against the former Chief Minister and sections of the leadership following the party’s defeat.

Against that backdrop, the elevation of Sudhakaran, one of the fiercest internal critics of the Vijayan camp, to the pro-tem Speaker’s chair has dealt a fresh psychological and political blow to the CPI-M.

For the Satheesan government, the move has instantly placed the opposition on the defensive even before the Assembly proceedings begin.

For the CPI-M, the opening session of the new Assembly now threatens to become not merely a procedural exercise, but a painful public reminder of the cracks within the party and the fading aura of invincibility around Pinarayi Vijayan.

–IANS

sg/vd