Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state committee meeting on Saturday elected the new secretariat inducting three new faces amid reports of high drama.
The new members in the state secretariat are former district secretaries of Kozhikode, Kottayam and Idukki T P Ramakrishnan, K J Thomas and M M Mani respectively. LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan, P K Gurudasan were relieved from the secretariat. Both are members of the central committee.
The 15-member secretariat was elected at the meeting in the presence of CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and S Ramachandran Pillai. The other secretariat members are;Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, P Karunakaran, E P Jayarajan, T M Thomas Isaac, P K Sreemathy, A K Balan, M V Govindan, V V Dakshinamoorthy, Elamaram Kareem, Baby John and Anathalavattom Anandan.
There were reports of a contest for secretariat. The 15 member panel for the secretariat was presented by state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. However, his appeal to pass the panel unanimously was met with opposition from a section of party members close to Achuthanandan.
Three leaders K Chandran Pillai, J Mercykutty Amma and S Sarma who are close to Achuthanandan, were fielded by the opposite camp. However, they found found from just eight members. Though official sources didn't confirm or deny the reports regarding the contest, sources close to the opposition leader said that they had pressed for elections as a mark of symbolic protest against the unilateral decisions which had been taken all these years by a group of leaders. Besides, they also expressed their apprehensions about the capability of the new secretariat to lead the party.
There were also reports of heated exchanges between former CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and C K Sadasivan MLA who is known VS supporter. When Sadasivan stood to speak, Pinarayi mocked why did you take so long to get up. The MLA hit back saying that he was not afraid of speaking his mind.
The development on Saturday clearly indicated that winds of change had started flowing within the party. Earlier, no criticism was entertained by the dominant faction led by Pinarayi. However, things have changed on the ground following change in leadership at the state and central level respectively .
Officials sourecs refering to VS owever, didn't confirm the reports regarding elections. Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan who had earlier decided to skip the meet, turned for the state committee meeting. The veteran leader was invited to attend the meet at the behest of the central leadership.
