CPM probe panel indicts four senior leaders

KOCHI: The two-member party commission appointed by CPM state committee to study the reasons for the debilitating defeat of party candidate Dr Jo Joseph in the Thrikkakara byelection presented its report before the district committee held in Kochi on Thursday.

It is learnt the report is critical of four senior leaders including Industries Minister P Rajeeve, state secretariat member M Swaraj, GCDA chairman K Chandran Pillai and Ernakulam district secretary C N Mohanan. However, there is no recommendation for action against these leaders.

The report was discussed in the presence of state secretary M V Govindan. The report will be presented before the state secretariat on Friday. LDF candidate Dr Jo Joseph was defeated by a margin of 25,000 votes by Congress candidate Uma Thomas in the byelection held on May 31, this year. The byelection was necessitated by the death of senior Congress leader P T Thomas, who died on December 21, 2021. Uma Thomas is the widow of P T Thomas. 

It is learnt to have found that news about the candidature of DYFI former district secretary K S Arunkumar created confusion among the party workers. The panel found that there was failure on the part of C N Mohanan and M Swaraj that led to the confusion.