The deft VS move has achieved two objectives in one fell swoop. It has taken the wind out of the Congress propaganda sail; it has also put the CM’s detractors within his own party on the defensive.

The Congress plan to meet the Prime Minister in person to seek a CBI probe into the lottery scam has lost its sting with the CM upstaging the party with his decision to demand a CBI probe himself.

The Achuthanandan act has also bared the disconnect between him and the State CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on the issue. While addressing a press conference recently, Mr. Vijayan had pleaded ignorance of the VS decision to seek a CBI inquiry

In a reaction to Vijayan’s comment, that the issue had not been discussed in the party forum, VS said implicitly that the party need not know each and every decision taken by the Government in advance.

The CM’s detractors within the Kerala CPI(M) fear that such unilateral action by the Chief Minister would put the party in an unflattering light, adding grist to he opposition’s propaganda mill. However, they cannot openly oppose the move as that would only reinforce the prevailing perception that a section of the ruling party has links with lottery mafia.

VS supporters counter this argument saying that the octogenarian CM has created a positive impression among the people with his bold decision.

Significantly, State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had all along opposed any inquiry against lottery king Santiago Martin and others claiming that no case can be made against him.

The latest CM move is in line with his earlier decision to return the land taken away from the adivasis of Attappadi through fraudulent means. That prompt action had blunted the edge of the Congress criticism that the LDF government was hand n glove with a Pune-based firm, which had deprived the adivasis of their land with the help of some officials and forged documents and other illegal methods.

The CBI probe move is expected to yield rich electoral dividend to the LDF in the crucial assembly election battle coming up in May 2011. (IPA)