The Hindu : Kerala News : Consensus eludes CPI(M) on composition of new secretariat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Consensus eludes CPI(M) on composition of new secretariat

Staff Reporter

Decision to be taken at next State committee meeting in third week of May

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State CPI(M) has `deferred' formation of its new State secretariat to the third week of May as the party leadership could not arrive at a consensus on the composition of the new secretariat and felt it should be formed only after a review of the February Malappuram State conference, which was marked by rampant factionalism.

The two-day CPI(M) State committee meeting, convened exclusively to fill the positions left vacant when it was constituted at the Malappuram conference and to constitute the new secretariat, could only achieve the former task. The meeting ended on Friday afternoon resolving to carry out a review of the performance of the outgoing secretariat and what had transpired at the Malappuram conference and without electing a new secretariat as the dominant factions in the party could not agree on the names put forward by the official leadership.

The party general secretary, Prakash Karat, told The Hindu on conclusion of the State committee meeting that the new secretariat would now be formed at the next meeting of the State committee, slated for May 20, 21 and 22. "We can help (the State party) in the formation of the new secretariat only after a review of the performance of the outgoing secretariat and its members," Mr. Karat said and added that the outgoing secretariat would carry out the review and its report would be placed before the next State committee meeting for discussion and a decision on the composition of the new secretariat. A brief statement issued by the State committee on Friday evening said the existing secretariat would continue till the new secretariat is formed. This is for the first time that formation of the State secretariat is getting delayed to such an extent. The practice till the Alappuzha State conference of the party in 1992 was to constitute the secretariat along with the State committee at the State conference venue itself. The practice was given up when factionalism reared its head in the party and consensus on the composition of the secretariat became hard to come by.

Consensus on the new secretariat eluded the reconstituted State leadership this time as well despite Mr. Karat and the party Polit Bureau members, Sitaram Yechury and S. Ramachandran Pillai, trying their best to avert a showdown and ensure that a State secretariat acceptable to both the dominant factions in the party is put in place.

The normal practice is to effect minor changes and induct new members to fill vacancies. There are two vacancies in the outgoing secretariat--those arising from the death of E.K. Nayanar and A. Kanaran. The official leadership is understood to have put forward four names for inclusion in the secretariat-- E. Balanandan, V.V. Dakshina moorthy, Vaikom Viswan and K. M. Sudhakaran. It was not clear whether this implied retirement of the ailing T.K. Ramakrishnan and ouster of the staunch Achuthanandan loyalist, S. Sharma.

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