KOTTAYAM: In somewhat a smooth process, V N Vasavan was unanimously elected as the Kottayam district secretary of the Communist party of India (Marxist) in the four-day long district conference, which concluded at Ettumanoor on Sunday. A former MLA of Kottayam, Vasavan is presently the district president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
His name was proposed for the post by the outgoing district secretary K J Thomas in the final session of the delegates meeting and district secretariat member M T Joseph supported the proposal.
The district meeting also elected a 35-member district committee, in which two were new faces; CPM Vaikom area secretary K K Ganesh and Vazhoor area secretary Girish S Nair. As many as 23 delegates were elected for the party State conference to be held in February.
Speaking to ‘Express’ after being elected to the new post, Vasavan said that he would mobilise the party cadre to expose the stunted development in the district.
“The district has witnessed a serious deficiency in the development in all the sectors including service, infrastructure and production. The party would launch stringent protests against the apathy of the authorities concerned, to address the issues in these sectors. The party would also take up various other social issues as well.
“Protests would be intensified against the unpardonable delay on the part of the government in resolving the crisis of the rubber farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, he dismissed allegations of factionalism and weakening of the party in its strongholds. “There is no drain of party cadre to any other party. All inner party discussions in the conference were held smoothly and in a constructive atmosphere. We would concentrate on strengthening the party in the district,” he said.
Vasavan, 60, born in 1954 as the son of Narayanan and Karthyayani Amma of Mattakkara, entered politics through the Students Federation of India (SFI) and was an active worker of KSYF and DYFI. He became a member of the CPM in 1974. He has been a member of the party district committee from 1991 onwards and a district secretariat member from 1997 onwards. He was elected as MLA from Kottayam in 2006, while he lost twice the Assembly elections against Oommen Chandy in Puthuppalli in 1987 and 1991.
He had held various positions, including member of Pampady grama panchayat, and president of Navalokam cultural front.