CHENNAI: The election to choose a new state secretary of the CPI, scheduled for Monday, was postponed (without mentioning new date) after a last-minute tussle over the executive council delayed proceedings.
According to party sources, the state secretary is usually elected by the newly constituted state council on the final day of the state conference. However, when the incumbent secretary, R Mutharasan, proposed holding elections for the 31-member executive council first, the process encountered difficulties.
Mutharasan, who has crossed the age limit of 75, suggested the inclusion of two new members in place of himself and another retiring member. But at least nine council members expressed their intention to contest, leading to prolonged negotiations that stretched past 5 pm.
With the deadlock unresolved and time running out for the scheduled public rally — an event traditionally held at the end of the state conference to present political resolutions — the election for state secretary was deferred.
Mutharasan announced that he would continue in office until the election is completed.
Party insiders said the delay was linked to a tussle between two camps – one backing senior leader Santham for the state secretary post and the other supporting deputy secretary K Veerapandian. It is widely believed that Veerapandian had secured a majority support, and Mutharasan’s move to prioritise the executive council election was aimed at buying time.
The confusion deepened when, around 2 pm, a CPI national secretary posted on Facebook that Mutharasan had been “relieved” from the post due to the age cap, only to later clarify that the election had been postponed.
A state functionary of the party told TNIE, on condition of anonymity, that the main duty of the state conference is to elect the state council. It was successfully achieved. The state council’s duty is to elect the executive council and the state secretary, and it will be done at the earliest. “It should not be considered as a failure of the state conference,” he underlined.
Several members privately expressed disappointment that national leaders D Raja, Annie Raja, Amarjeet Kaur, and K Narayana, who were present, did not intervene to break the impasse.