The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district conference is unlikely to hold any surprises. The incumbent district committee is sitting pretty. It has emerged stronger after the party’s good show in the local body and Assembly elections.
Under district secretary Anavoor Nagappan, the Left Democratic Font emerged victorious in 13 Assembly constituencies in the district. It also maintained its traditional sway in the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) lost only the Kovalam Assembly constituency to the United Democratic Front. Notably, the district CPI(M) “closed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sole account” in the State in the Nemom Assembly segment. General Education Minister V. Sivankutty trounced Congress and BJP heavyweights K. Muraleedharan, MP, and Kummanam Rajasekharan respectively to recapture Nemom, which he had ignominiously lost to O. Rajagopal in the 2016 Assembly elections.
V.K. Prasanth's victory from Vattiyurkavu, despite the perceived pro-Congress tilt of the dominant Nair Service Society (NSS), was touted as a feather in the district committee's cap.
Second term likely
A party insider speculated that the district conference would endorse the leadership of Mr. Nagappan for a second term. He also postulated that the meeting could make a few changes to the 47-member district committee.
The conference is likely to pull out a few workers aged above 75 years from the committee and include more youths and women. By one account, the meeting would only minimally change the make-up of the 11-member district secretariat.
The district committee is likely to draw flak for organising a 500-member Thiruvathira presentation ahead of the conference, in brazen violation of the COVID-19 protocol. The allegedly embarrassing spectacle caused some reputational damage to the ruling party. CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Mr. Sivankutty disavowed the event.
The elevation of Arya Rajendran as Thiruvananthapuram Mayor and her "style of functioning" allegedly caused some rumble in the CPI(M) in the district. It is a matter of conjecture whether such issues would figure at the district conference.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the conference at Parassala at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Mr. Balakrishnan and CPI(M) central committee members E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Govindan, K.K. Shailaja, A.K. Balan and P.K. Sreemathi, State secretariat member Anathalavattom Anandan and Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal will attend the conference.
Mr. Nagappan will present his report at the conference. The delegates will debate the report and elect the new secretary and district committee on January 16. The same evening, Mr. Balakrishnan will inaugurate a public meeting held as part of the district conference.
