Apart from the money that will come in handy, the drive involving sympathisers and prominent Communist families also helps the CPM convey the impression of a united party passionately rallied behind Vijayan to fight the “politically-motivated” case.

Among the “spontaneous” supporters parting with their monthly pensions are Sarada, widow of former chief minister E K Nayanar; Meenakshi, whose husband and prominent CPM leader Azhikkodan Raghavan was killed in 1972; and Laila, daughter of the late A K Gopalan.

The others include old CPM loyalists like Fathima, wife of the late party leader E K Imbichibava, who paid money from her pension earned working as a teacher to the Lavalin fund. Imbichibava had represented the Ponnani constituency in the Assembly. Incidentally, his brother E K Aboobacker, also a Communist, died in penury two weeks ago.

A young comrade left disabled in an RSS attack in Kannur and the family of a slain Democratic Youth Federation of India leader in Kochi have pitched in, while Simon Britto, an MLA who has been languishing in a wheelchair since he was critically injured in a student clash in 1983, has promised to give Rs 10,000.

The latest contribution celebrated by the party was that of V K Bhadramma, wife of party Alappuzha district secretary P K Chandranandan. The teacher is donating a month’s pension.

Decrying the exercise, M R Murali, the convenor of an outfit comprising CPM rebels purged from the party, the Left Coordination Panel, feels that the CPM’s bid to convert the Lavalin case into a source for fund generation is “a challenge to the people of the state”.