Key changes in CPI(M) in Keralam: P. Jayarajan, M.B. Rajesh and V. Sivankutty included in State secretariat

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Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby at a public rally marking the culmination of the three-day extended State committee meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on the Kozhikode beach on Tuesday evening.

Significant changes have been brought in the State leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in Keralam as its three-day extended State committee meeting concluded here on Tuesday.

P. Jayarajan (Kannur), V. Sivankutty (Thiruvananthapuram), and M.B, Rajesh (Palakkad) will now be members of the State secretariat. John Brittas, special invitee to the Central Committee (CC), too will be part of it.

Nine leaders will be included in the State committee as permanent invitees. They are N. Sukanya (Kannur), O.S. Ambika (Thiruvananthapuram), Subaida Ishaq (Palakkad), Students Federation of India (SFI) national president Adarsh M. Saji, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State secretary M. Vijin, DYFI national functionary Jaick C. Thomas, SFI State president M. Sivaprasad and State secretary P.S. Sanjeev, and poet Prabha Varma. Susan Kodi (Kollam), who was earlier excluded from the State committee, will be coopted into it. CC members T.P. Ramakrishnan and Thomas Isaac have been removed from the State secretariat though they can attend its meetings.

According to party sources, the changes are part of the corrective steps intended by the extended State committee meeting, which was held under the monitoring of the central leadership led by general secretary M.A. Baby and other Polit Bureau (PB) members. These steps followed intensive discussions on Sunday and Monday on a draft document presented by party State secretary M.V. Govindan that suggested guidelines for the revival of the party’s fortunes after the Assembly election debacle in Keralam.

District secretariat members and functionaries of the party’s class and mass organisations, who participated in the discussions, had reportedly sought strong steps to overcome organisational weaknesses and stressed the need to fix responsibility on the leadership for the election defeat.

The sources said the elevation of Mr. Jayarajan, a popular leader from Kannur who earlier worked as the district secretary, was crucial. “He is seen as a critical insider. The central leadership, especially the PB, has now given clear indications about the need for internal criticism in the party. The PB is making such interventions after a long gap,” a party insider said.

Addressing the media, party State secretary M.V. Govindan claimed that there was no “restructuring of the leadership” as such, but it can be called “introduction of fresh faces.” However, the CPI(M) leader refused to comment on media reports that said he had been “internally censured” by the central leadership. “These are organisational issues. We will go to any extent to have a course correction. Discussions have been held even on my lapses. The party will take steps to correct mistakes at all levels,” Mr. Govindan said.

He said the course correction steps taken up by party committees would be evaluated every three months. The State committee would conduct its own evaluation every six months too. Extended district committee meetings would be held in all districts by October 18. Thereafter, zonal-level meetings would be held till October 25, Mr. Govindan said.

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