Kerala CM to accommodate 2 top leaders of CPI-M

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 In a day or two, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be accommodating two top leaders of the CPI-M in the state-backed organisations.

Though both the top leaders are not in Vijayan's good books, the move is being seen as his strategy to keep everyone in good humour, just ahead of the upcoming party's state conference, sources said.

Former Speaker of the state Assembly P. Sreeramakrishnan and Kannur's top notch leader P. Jayarajan, both have been offered posts which did not match their stature.

While Sreeramakrishnan is being appointed as vice chairman of NORKA the state backed body of the diaspora, Jayarajan will be the chairman of the Kerala Khadi Board.

"Vijayan is a very shrewd person and he knows that if he is not careful in handling things, he cannot sustain his position in the party. And now onwards, he will be very careful not to antagonise the other leaders in his party, who hitherto were not in his good books. Accommodating the party's top leaders is the first step of Vijayan, to ensure that he continues to enjoy his strong position," alleged the source who did not wish to be identified.

Vijayan is keeping his cards close to his chest and another strategy of his is to now bring back Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Balakrishnan, who is presently on 'leave', is likely to return as his younger son, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last year, has got bail.

In the party congress to be held in Kannur the hometown of Vijayan, he does not wish to go forward leaving Jayarajan in wilderness, as the latter after his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was in hibernation.

"The game plan of Vijayan is not just to consolidate his position in the state unit of the party, but at the national level and for that he does not want even a whimper of discontentment from Kerala, as all eyes are on if Sitaram Yechury will get one more term and if he does not, it will certainly be a handpicked leader by Vijayan," the source added.

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