Any exclusions of senior or popular leaders from the district committee of the CPI(M) is part of a move adopted during district conferences to usher in change by making way for new faces, Anavoor Nagappan, who has been re-elected Thiruvananthapuram CPI(M) district secretary), has said.
He was responding to questions on Sunday on the exclusion of former MP A. Sampath from the district committee.
Talking to reporters at the conference venue, Mr. Nagappan, who had first come to the post in 2016, said that the party had decided to ensure the presence of people aged below 40 and at least 10% women members in the panel. Nine people were dropped so as to provide opportunities to new people, he said.
Mr. Nagappan also defended the inclusion of Shiju Khan, general secretary of the Kerala State Child Welfare Council who was embroiled in the child adoption row, in the district committee saying that no wrongdoing had been proven against him. The party would not exclude members merely because of controversies, he said.
Aim of new panel
Mr. Nagappan further added that the new committee would aim to strengthen the Communist institution in the district and extend support to the development activities of the State government.
He also denied charges that the three-day event had flouted COVID-19 norms. According to him, the protocol was strictly adhered to and public functions were avoided.
Two of the delegates, including I.B. Satheesh, MLA, who tested positive, had fever symptoms when they arrived, and were sent back, he said.
