THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ollur MLA K Rajan will be the new Government Chief Whip in the assembly. CPI state executive has decided to appoint the Ollur MLA as the Chief Whip with Cabinet rank. With this, the party will have six Cabinet posts.
CPI was offered the Chief Whip’s post as a quid pro quo for E P Jayarajan’s re-entry as a minister to the Cabinet last year.
CPI had then decided not to accept the post as the state was facing an acute fund crunch following the devastating floods.
This decision was reversed within a year and the CPI has decided to accept the post.It may be recalled that during UDF period, when P C George was made the Chief Whip to quell the rebellion in Kerala Congress, the Left had protested the move. CPI was in the forefront of that agitation.