Resentment over Joy’s return as CPM dist secy

T’puram: Resentment is brewing among senior CPM functionaries in the district over the party state leadership’s decision to allow MLA V Joy to continue as district secretary. Subsequently, V Sivankutty, one of the senior functionaries in the district, skipped the district secretariat meeting though he officially cited health issues as the reason for his absence. Later, he denied reports that he was upset over Joy’s return.

CPM state leadership, including opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary M V Govindan, recommended Joy as the district secretary, especially in view of the smouldering discord within the party in Thiruvananthapuram. CPM state committee members from the district were in favour of Joy continuing as the district secretary.

Following Joy’s candidacy in Varkala assembly seat, CPM MP A A Rahim was appointed as the interim district secretary in the state capital. District committee members generally welcomed Joy’s return amid reports that Sivankutty was interested in the district secretary’s post. He was expecting a decent accommodation in the organization after biting the dust in Nemom after assembly elections.

Another senior functionary and former minister Kadakampally Surendran was reportedly unhappy with the decision to bring back Joy to the district secretary post. Generally, CPM functionaries are removed from the district secretary post if they are elected to assembly or Parliament positions.