For the first time in the state, a CPI(M) district committee controlled by Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the removal of V S Achuthanandan from the Chief Minister’s post.

At the meeting held yesterday, the Kottayam district committee openly aired its displeasure over facing the next Lok Sabha elections with Achuthanandan as the Chief Minister. Achuthanandan has less than half-a-dozen loyalists in the 34-member committee. The district committee meeting was attended by Vaikkom Vishwan, party central committee member and convener of Left Democratic Front.

The meeting was held to discuss the “anti-party activities” in the Kottayam area committee, which is controlled by the V S faction. Ten members of the area committee have been served showcause notice. The Pinarayi faction wanted to flush out all V S loyalists from the area committee and issuing showcause notices was part of that strategy, said sources.

During the valedictory function of the party state conference in Kottayam, several inebriated party workers had shown “over enthusiasm” when V S stood up to address the gathering. The subsequent chaos at the venue had forced the party to suspend the function in an unceremonious manner. The party had held the Kottayam area committee responsible for the incident.

Meanwhile, after touring the dissident-infested party stronghold of Onchiyam in Kozhikode on Wednesday, Pinarayi told mediapersons that there was perfect unity in the party, which would suffer little from the exit of a couple of local leaders.

He was referring to the formation of a new Communist party at Onchiyam, by V S loyalists.