Thiruvananthapuram, At times it blows hot and cold in the Kerala unit of the CPI-M. State party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Monday made it amply clear that the CPI-M does not have any problem if its party members are believers.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Kozhikode district party meeting, Balakrishnan said the CPI-M will give membership to believers.

"The CPI-M is not against any religion and even Comrade Lenin had said that Christian priests can join the party," said Balakrishnan.

The open call given by Balakrishnan is meant to invite the EK faction in the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema who have of late shown a pro-Pinarayi Vijayan attitude, especially after he held discussions with the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema leaders and decided to put on hold the earlier decision that was taken to hand over all the appointments in the Kerala Waqf Board to the Public Service Commission.

Incidentally, the Indian Union Muslim League is the second biggest party in the Congress led Opposition and the relation between them and the EK faction is also blowing hot and cold and it's here that the CPI-M is trying to extend the olive branch by making it very clear that CPI-M does not have any bar on believers.

Going back into history what happened in the 80s, was when party ideologue, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, had then asked Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader P.J. Joseph, to disown the bishops in public before letting him join the Left Democratic Front.

The Kerala unit of the CPI-M is firing on all cylinders as in the country, it's only in Kerala where they rule, as the party has virtually disappeared into thin air in West Bengal after ruling the state for 34 years, likewise, their position has become weak in Tripura.

All this is happening at a time when the party's state conference is scheduled to be held at Ernakulam shortly and the Party Congress to be held in April at Kannur.