CPM Appoints A A Rahim as New Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary
In a significant political development, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has appointed A A Rahim as the new district secretary of Thiruvananthapuram. This decision was made during a district secretariat meeting held on Sunday, which was attended by CPM state secretary M V Govindan. Rahim, who currently serves as the national president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and is a Rajya Sabha member, takes over from V Joy.
Strategic Move for Assembly Elections
The appointment comes as part of the party's strategic preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. The CPM district secretariat concluded that V Joy has the strongest chance of winning in the Varkala constituency, making it unwise to replace him with another candidate. This move is aimed at ensuring a third consecutive term for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government by fielding winnable candidates across the district.
As a result, the CPM district committee has decided to field all 10 sitting MLAs in the polls. The list includes:
- V Sivankutty (Nemom)
- V Joy (Varkala)
- O S Ambika (Attingal)
- D K Murali (Vamanapuram)
- Kadakampally Surendran (Kazhakkoottam)
- V K Prasanth (Vattiyoorkavu)
- G Stephen (Aruvikkara)
- C K Hareendran (Parassala)
- I B Satheesh (Kattakada)
- K Ansalan (Neyyattinkara)
Exemptions for Experienced MLAs
Notably, several of these MLAs, including Joy, Surendran, Satheesh, Murali, Hareendran, and Ansalan, have completed two consecutive terms. However, the party has granted them exemptions based on their proven ability to secure victories in their respective seats. This decision underscores the CPM's focus on leveraging experienced candidates to maintain electoral dominance.
Any potential changes to this candidate list will be determined by the party's state secretariat, which is responsible for finalizing the nominations. Party sources indicate that all sitting MLAs are expected to contest, with a final decision anticipated during the state committee meeting scheduled for March 5.
This reshuffle and candidate strategy highlight the CPM's meticulous planning to strengthen its position in Thiruvananthapuram and across Kerala, as it gears up for a competitive election season.
