KOCHI: Will Kochi be the venue for change in the practice of leaders from Kerala and West Bengal sharing the top positions of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is the question uppermost in minds of the delegates on the penultimate day of the 10th national conference of the organisation on Saturday. The president and general secretary posts have been shared between comrades from Kerala and West Bengal since the inception of DYFI in 1980. At present, M.B. Rajesh from Kerala is the president and Abhoy Mukherjee from West Bengal is the general secretary.
Speculation is rife on who will be replacing Mr Rajesh is expected to step down as president. Leaders from Kerala are rooting for Mohammad Riyas from the state, who is currently the joint secretary of the outfit. Mr Mukherjee is likely to continue as general secretary. The new office-bearers will be decided on Sunday.
A section of delegates, however, has raised objections to the practice of the leaders from these two states monopolizing the top posts between themselves and asked for a change during the discussions on the political and organisational report. The delegates also accused a section of leaders from these two states using the position in the outfit for advancing their career in parliamentary politics.
Mr Rajesh has spoken about the need for a more collective leadership. The practice of a group of full-time leaders working at the DYFI at the national in Delhi has to be revived, he told reporters. The ongoing meeting will devise a strategy for the same, he said. The DYFI president has also stressed on the need for bringing more women to the organisation and said its constitution will be amended for the purpose. The five-day meeting will end with a mammoth rally of two lakh persons and public meeting at Marine Drive in Kochi on Sunday. The public meeting will be addressed by CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPM politburo member M.A. Baby and other prominent leaders.
