Click to play videoThiruvananthapuram: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got the Kerala Governor’s permission to prosecute senior CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan, who is accused of illegally favouring a Canadian company with contracts when he was the state’s power minister in 1997.
Sources tell CNN-IBN Governor R S Gavai gave his consent after a request by the CBI.
Vijayan, secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in Kerala, is accused of favouring SNC Lavalin in awarding contracts to renovate two hydro-power projects when he was the state’s power minister.
Vijayan has a running feud with CPI-M Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who has refused to follow the party line that allegations in the SNC Lavalin case are politically motivated.
The factional feud between Vijayan and Achuthanandan has been blamed for the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front winning just four Lok Sabha seats in the General Elections compared to 19 in 2004.
The state CPI-M met on May 28 to take stock of its defeat but decided not to remove either Achuthanandan or Vijayan from their posts.
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