Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Surendran to head CPI(M) in capital

Kadakampally Surendran

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M)’s Thiruvananthapuram district conference on Friday chose Kadakkampally Surendran, closely identified with the party State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, as district secretary of the party. Mr. Surendran became secretary through an election defeating Pirappancode Murali, the incumbent district secretary, known to be close to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

The district conference also witnessed the supporters of Pinarayi Vijayan tightening their hold in the district secretariat by getting 34 nominees elected to the 43-member district secretariat. Those identified with Mr. Vijayan filed nine candidates for the district secretariat in addition to the 25 who were included in the official panel. In the ensuing election, nine nominees, including four area secretaries, who found a place among the 18 known to be close to Mr.Achuthanandan, were defeated. Mr. Surendran’s winning tally was 36, an accretion of two votes more than the known strength of Mr. Vijayan’s supporters. The district conference also elected 36 delegates for the State conference.

The Thiruvananthapuram conference was keenly watched because of the pre-dominant position that Mr. Achuthanandan’s supporters had in the district party hierarchy. Thiruvananthapuram became the first district conference to witness election to the post of district secretary. The CPI(M) leadership, however, took care to project a united face at the rally marking the conclusion of the district conference inaugurated by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

Delivering his inaugural address, Mr. Achuthanandan said his government was committed to taking up the issues that the LDF had highlighted while in the Opposition. He said the government would continue the eviction of encroachers on government land not only in Munnar but also in other areas. The LDF had decided to take strong positions against the encroachers.

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, addressing the rally, criticised certain sections among the minority communities and the UDF for leading a misinformation campaign against the party. He said the UDF was indulging in such a campaign because it wanted to create confusion in the minds of the vast majority among the minority communities that had gravitated towards the CPI(M). He said the attempts began with the UDF’s defeat in the Thiruvambady byelection. He said the attempts to stoke communal passions were a dangerous game to indulge in.

Mr. Surendran is at present the president of the Kerala State Cooperative Bank. Mr. Surendran also heads several trade unions. He became a district secretariat member in 1991 and was an MLA from Kazhakootam from 1996-2001.

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