CHENNAI: The 26th state conference of the Communist Party of India (CPI) commenced in Salem on Friday in the presence of party national general secretary D Raja and state secretary R Mutharasan. The four-day conference will conclude on August 18 with the election of a new state secretary, a post that carries considerable weight in steering the party’s strategy in Tamil Nadu.
As per party rules, a state secretary can serve only three consecutive three-year terms. Mutharasan, who has held the post since 2015, has already completed three terms, with his latest election in 2022 delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He has, therefore, been at the helm for nearly a decade.
Though his tenure technically ends now, a section of senior leaders indicated that a precedent exists for a fourth term. They pointed out that after a 2002 amendment to the party constitution, veteran leader R Nallakannu was elected to a fourth consecutive term as state secretary. “If the same principle applies, Mutharasan may once again be in the race. That is why there appears to be less visible competition among senior leaders,” a functionary told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
However, another group dismissed this possibility, stressing that the final decision would rest with the new state council members, who will formally select the secretary on August 18 under the supervision of national council representatives, including D Raja.
“Only after the state council meets on Monday will the list of contenders be finalised,” they said.
For now, the names doing the rounds include deputy state secretary Veerapandian, former MLA and deputy state secretary N Periyasamy, AITUC national secretary T M Moorthy, and senior leader Santhanam.
Veterans also recalled how leadership contests in the CPI have produced surprises before. In 2015, when T Pandian’s tenure ended, most expected C Mahendran to succeed him. But Pandian proposed Mutharasan’s name at the last moment, and Mahendran lost by a margin of just two votes.
The internal equations this time may hinge on new organisational dynamics. Of the 44 district units, 10 have elected new secretaries during conferences held in the last six months, while a number of new faces are also expected in the state council. Their support could prove decisive in determining the next leader.
Regardless of who takes charge, the new state secretary will face the pressing task of reviving the party’s strength and visibility ahead of the next Assembly polls.