Thiruvananthapuram, July 22 -- In the annals of Kerala's political history, few rivalries have been as intense and consequential as the prolonged feud between VS Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan - two titans of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) who once stood shoulder to shoulder, only to find themselves locked in an ideological and personal battle that once shook the party to its core.
Once allies, while Pinarayi was considered a protege of V.S, the two leaders eventually found themselves on opposing sides of a bitter factional divide within the CPI(M).
What makes the story particularly compelling is that Pinarayi, who rose through the party ranks with VS's support, later eclipsed his mentor and consolidated control over the party...