THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the CPM state committee will meet here on Saturday and Sunday, all eyes will be on politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The senior leader, who is on leave from the post of state secretary, is fit to reassume office, according to sources in the CPM. Whether the state committee will direct Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to reassume the responsibility or decide to continue the interim arrangement of LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan holding the charge of secretary till the state conference of the party scheduled for April 2022 in Kannur will be decided by the state committee.
Kodiyeri Balakrishnan stepped down from the post on November 13, last year as controversy over the arrest of his son Bineesh Kodiyeri by ED was raging. Though Kodiyeri cited his worsening health condition as he had been under treatment for cancer as the reason to seek leave, the trouble caused by Bineesh’s arrest was the triggering factor for placing such a request before the PB. The CPM-led LDF was gearing for local body poll then and the senior leaders concluded that Kodiyeri lying low for some time would help quench the unwanted controversies.
“Bineesh is out on bail now. Health of Kodiyeri has improved considerably. There is no visible hurdle between Kodiyeri and the state secretary’s office now,” a senior CPM leader said on condition of anonymity. However, he was not ready to confirm the rumours, saying the state committee is the topmost decision making body.
The agenda of the state committee meeting is review of party conferences happening across the state. Local conferences are concluding and area conferences have started in some districts. So far, the conferences have progressed as per the guidelines of the party and there is a steep increase in the participation of women and youngsters in conferences. A record number of women were elected as branch secretaries and local secretaries this time. Another pending agenda item that may come up for debate is the discussion on the report of the party inquiry commission against former Minister G Sudhakaran.