The debate on the issue has gathered momentum with the CPI state conference scheduled to be held in Kottayam from February 27 to March 2.
The two main contenders for the top CPI post are AITUC president Kanam Rajendran and assistant secretary, K. E. Ismail. From the look of things, it is clear that it is going to ber a no-holds-barred battle between the two contenders.
A contest has become inevitable with the incumbent secretary, Pannyan Ravindran, conveying to the central leadership of the party his decision not to stake claim for a second term.
That Kanam Rajendran will throw his hat in the ring became clear when he refused to retain his post as the AITUC State secretary at the state conference of the AITUC, held in Thrissur in December, 2014. Rajendran settled for the post of AITUC state president, opting out as the secretary.
For the first time, the AITUC in the state will have a working president, a post created on the request of Kanam. The central leadership accepted his suggestion despite there being no such precedent. Following Kanam’s refusal to stay as secretary, K. P. Rajendran was elected as the new secretary by the AITUC state council.
Kanam had staked his claim for the top CPI post after the death of former state secretary, C. K. Chandrappan. But as there was no consensus on the candidate for the post, Pannyan Ravindran became the state secretary at the behest of the central leadership.
Kanam seems bent upon pulling out all the stops in his attempt to become the state secretary this time around. Significantly, he is set to have the support of all the leaders who were close to late Chandrappan.
But Kanam is unlikely to be elected unanimously as another section in the state CPI led by K. E. Ismail seems determined to force a contest. Incidentally, Ismail had kept a low profile while Chandrappan was the state secretary. Now that Chandrappan is no more on the scene, Ismail, who had been sidelined, has jumped into the fray. Ismail, is said to have the support of leaders like V. S. Sunil Kumar, MLA, P. S. Supal, Latha Devi and V. P. Unnikrishnan.
CPI parliamentary party leader, C. Divakaran would have been a strong contender in the normal course. But Divakaran’s chances have faded following the disciplinary action initiated against him in the Bennet Abraham candidature row. Divakaran was one of the three state leaders against whom the party took action over the controversial manner in which Bennet was made the CPI candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency. It remains to be seen, however, who Divakaran’s followers – he enjoys sizable support, especially in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts – will support.
Meanwhile, the district conferences of the State CPI are due to commence from January 16. The first district conference will be held in Kottayam. State conference representatives will be elected by the district conferences. These members will elect the State Council, which in turn will elect the State secretariat, state executive and the new state secretary.
Incidentally, the Area conferences of the party which are nearing completion saw trenchant criticism against the present state party leadership. The main criticism was that the state leadership failed to effectively resist the CPI(M)’s anti-CPI moves. (IPA Service)
India: Kerala
WHO WILL BECOME THE NEW STATE CPI SECRETARY?
RACE IS BETWEEN KANAM RAJENDRAN, KE ISMAIL
P. Sreekumaran - 2015-01-13 11:07
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Who is going to be the new State secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI)? That is the question uppermost in the minds of not only C PI activists but also among other left parties.