THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a role reversal, outgoing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will now take on the UDF as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the assembly.
Hours after the Congress declared VD Satheesan as its chief minister pick, the CPM state committee finalised Pinarayi to take up the mantle of the Opposition. No other name came up for the position. The state committee meet presided over by K Radhakrishnan, in the presence of general secretary M A Baby and politburo member A Vijayaraghavan, unanimously elected Pinarayi.
The PB meeting on Monday had entrusted the party’s Kerala unit to take a call on the new LoP. It was evident that the responsibility would fall on the two-term CM as the entire state secretariat had backed him for the position.
“He is the senior-most leader in the party and in the front. Had the LDF won the polls, he would have taken up the mantle. So how can he stay away just because the LDF lost?” asked a senior leader. “Moreover, like the PB pointed out the other day, the party and the front have collective responsibility. The onus cannot be put on a single leader,” he said.
There were speculation that in view of the humiliating defeat in the assembly polls, the veteran leader may choose to keep away.
Demand to call party plenum
It was speculated that senior leader K N Balagopal could be considered for the post.
However, at the CPM secretariat meet, a majority of the leaders were of the view that Pinarayi would be the ideal candidate to lead the front, especially in the new scenario where the BJP has three MLAs in the House. “He’s the senior most and most experienced leader of the party.
He’s also the only politburo member who contested. Naturally, the party chose him to lead the front,” state secretary M V Govindan told TNIE.
Meanwhile, the two-day state committee meet witnessed severe criticism over organisational lapses and leadership failures. There were demands that a plenum should be held in line with the party’s West Bengal unit, which is planning to convene a plenary session in August in view of the new situation there.
Demands were also raised for the complete overhaul of the party secretariat in view of the defeat. Criticism was primarily aimed at Govindan over P K Shyamala’s candidature and failure to address inner party issues in Kannur. Ripples over Shyamala’s candidature reflected across the state, opined leaders who spoke at the state committee. Sources said a number of members, including Kannur leader P Jayarajan, pointed fingers at the state leadership over organisational lapses.
The leaders who spoke at the meet pointed out that detailed discussions should be held to find out how the party lost in its strongholds. Criticism came up against the party’s failure to reject the controversial remarks made by SNDP Yogam leader Vellappally Natesan. State committee members said minorities distanced themselves from the party due to this. Following discussions at district committees, the state secretariat will again meet on June 5, followed by a two-day state committee meet. Only after this, the party will finalise it poll review.