THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s Kanam Rajendran all the way. The 71-year-old was re-elected CPI state secretary for a third consecutive term on Monday, the concluding day of the party state conference.
The party also saw a major generational shift as veterans like K E Ismail and C Divakaran were dropped from the state council, displaying the Kanam’s faction success in decimating rebels. A total of 33 members were dropped from the existing 96-member state council.
Central control commission chairman Panniyan Raveendran and central secretariat member Binoy Viswam were also not included. Now, the 101-member council is a tad younger. There are 38 new faces in it. In all, there are 13 women, nine of whom are new faces.
Ismail proposed Kanam’s name, Panniyan seconded
The CPI conference had gained public attention as the leadership had announced it would strictly enforce the 75- year age cap in the council. Ismail and Divakaran had opposed this, giving the impression that getting a third term would not be easy for Kanam. However, the rebels didn’t field any candidate, leading to Kanam being re-elected unanimously. Eight district units stood with him and the central leadership too intervened to avoid a contest. It was Ismail who proposed Kanam’s name as secretary.
Panniyan seconded it. Meanwhile, the Kanam faction maintained a considerable upper hand in selecting state council members. Four leaders from Ernakulam– P Raju, K N Sugathan, M T Nixon and TC Sanjith – failed to make it to the state council. E S Bijimol, a prominent woman leader from Idukki, was dropped as were MLAs Vazhoor Soman and G S Jayalal. Former minister P Thilothaman, who is not keeping well, was not included, while Mahesh Kakkath was dropped too. Kanam later told reporters that factionalism in CPI was media speculation. “There’s just one group in the party - the CPI group. Those who came up with stories about the conference are now disappointed,” he said.
DROPPED 33 LEADERS EXIT STATE COUNCIL
K E Ismail, C Divakaran, former Ernakulam district secretary P Raju, E S Bijimol, MLAs Vazhoor Soman and G S Jayalal, former minister P Thilothaman and AIYF nominee Mahesh Kakkath among those dropped due to various reasons