Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (IANS) Factionalism within the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala took a new turn with A. Akbar, reported to be close to state party secretary Pinnarayi Vijayan, stepping down as chief of a state-owned enterprise.

The rival groups - those owing allegiance to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and those to Vijayan - have been opposing recent postings.

Only last month had Akbar, a former top official of the Bank of Kabul in Afghanistan, taken over as managing director of the state-owned Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd (KSFE).

Achuthanandan's close aides had criticised Akbar's appointment to KSFE.

However, P. Sasi, chairman of KSFE, denied that Akbar's putting in his papers Friday was due to internal party problems. "He has cited personal reasons for his stepping down," said Sasi.

The trouble started after Achuthanandan posted Joseph C. Mathew as an IT expert and allowed his former private secretary K.M. Shahjahan to get back his job in an autonomous institution from which he had resigned a few years ago.

These two do not figure in the good books of Vijayan.

The Vijayan faction was upset because Mathew is known to be close to Achuthanandan's son and a close aide of Shahjahan who was booted out of the party a few months ago on account of indiscipline.

Shahjahan was Achuthanandan's secretary when the latter was leader of the opposition in 2001-06.

Reports indicate that with Akbar leaving, the Vijayan faction is in no mood to relent and is expected to create uneasiness for the chief minister over the postings, which do not have the clearance of the party.