THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPM leader A Vijayaraghavan, who stepped down as acting state secretary after being in office for a year, is most likely to make it to the politburo the party’s highest decision-making body. The 65-year-old may replace S Ramachandran Pillai, who is set to retire.
In a move to bring down the party’s average age, the CPM had recently decided to set 75 years as the age cap for leaders in the central committee and politburo. Pillai, 83, had expressed his willingness to quit during the 2018 Party Congress in which the party had set 80 years as the retirement age. But he was given an exception. Now, with the 23rd Party Congress expected to endorse the 75-year cap, Pillai may be made an invitee to the Central Committee.
“SRP is sharper than many young leaders. Since age is catching up, he wants to step down. He has been spending more time with his family in Kerala since the outbreak of Covid and wants to lead a quieter life. He will look after party education and EMS Academy,” a source told TNIE.
Vijayaraghavan stands a good chance to replace him in the politburo, thanks to his experience in the national capital. A former chief whip of the CPM in the Rajya Sabha, he has been active in the party’s central leadership for some time. “To be included in the politburo, one needs a certain level of theoretical understanding and experience. Vijayaraghavan is the president of the All-India Agricultural Workers Union and had served in the central secretariat for five years. He has been the acting state secretary too,” said a source.
Former power minister A K Balan and ex-finance minister Thomas Isaac too are in the reckoning. If the politburo decides to induct a woman leader from Kerala, then P K Sreemathy or K K Shailaja could get the nod. Currently there are two woman leaders in the PB — Brinda Karat and Subhashini Ali.