THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM on Tuesday gave its final nod for P Sasi’s appointment as chief minister’s political secretary but not before some leaders expressed dissent in the state committee, a rare phenomenon of late in the party. Senior leader and former Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan questioned the appointment at the meeting on Tuesday.
In an apparent reference to past allegations against Sasi, Jayarajan called for more caution while making such appointments at the CM’s office. State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said if anybody has such a reservation, it should have been voiced in advance.
To this, Jayarajan said opinions can be raised when the matter comes up for discussion in the state committee. It’s learnt that M V Jayarajan was unhappy that the decision was leaked.
CPM will bank on Sasi’s experience: Kodiyeri
Sasi has returned to the political secretary post, having occupied it almost two decades ago. The state committee ratified the party secretariat’s decision to appoint him in place of Dinesan Puthalath, who was elected to the state secretariat. The party also gave its nod to appoint central committee member E P Jayarajan as LDF convener in place of A Vijayaraghavan, who was elevated to the politburo. Vijayaraghavan and fellow PB member M A Baby will work from Delhi.
Dinesan has been made editor of party mouthpiece Deshabhimani, a post Kodiyeri held after P Rajeeve joined the cabinet nearly a year ago. Central committee member and former minister Thomas Isaac has been made editor of Chintha weekly while M M Swaraj, who was inducted into the state secretariat, has been given charge of Chintha Publishers. Kodiyeri will be in charge of Kairali channel.
S Ramachandran Pillai, who moved out of the politburo, will be in charge of the AKG Study Centre and EMS Academy. E P Jayarajan and A K Balan will be in charge of DYFI and SFI, respectively. “The party has reposed faith in Sasi and hopes to bank on his vast political acumen and experience,” Kodiyeri said on Tuesday. Recently included in the state committee, Sasi was once a powerful leader in state politics. He was expelled from CPM in 2011 after allegations of sexual misconduct. He returned after getting a clean chit from the court.