Kochi: The adage ‘you reap what you sow’ goes well with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who has become a target of media and political parties.

On the contrary veteran communist and Pinarayi’s bete noir V S Achuthanandan (VS) is revered by the people and rival politicians even as a section of the party founded by him is against him because of Pinarayi.

Crowds go berserk when VS comes to a public function and gets thunderous tremendous applause for his inimical speeches.

This leaves Pinarayi sore as it was VS who had ignited fire to the SNC Lavalin bribery case against Pinarayi when he was Chief Minister and Pinarayi CPM State secretary.

The seed of rivalry was sown by Pinarayi Vijayan during the CPM State meeting in Malappuram about two decades ago in a bid to increase his popularity even when party stalwarts like E K Nayanar were alive.

The animosity between them reached a flash point during the 2006 Assembly elections when Pinarayi and his supporters worked underground to deny VS a ticket. The latter revolted, forcing the party to go a fire fighting exercise and field VS. Adding insult to injury, he was made the Chief Minister in 2006.

Thereon, Pinarayi began using all available opportunities to nail VS. He fortified his grip over the party when he was secretary and went after VS and also decimated his loyalists.

This rivalry gave birth to indiscipline and arrogance within the party. VS basked under the glory of his governance when he took up historical decisions like Munnar eviction and became a darling of the people.

There are reports of some party leaders trying to redo what Pinarayi did decades back by defaming VS and pull down his rating in the party to ensure that he never becomes Chief Minister again.

The deteriorating law and order in the State is also part of it, political analysts said.

It was embarrassing to see a Chief Minister debating the claim made by the station house officer of Gandhinagar Police station that he was on the CM’s security duty and could not go after the abductors of 23-year-old newly wed Kevin by his wife’s brother and others. Kevin was later found dead in a canal kicking up another controversy.

The custodial death of Sreejit, rape and murder of a Latvian tourist in global tourism destination of Kovalam and the death of Kevin in close quarters have put the government in a tight spot.