MV Govindan elected Kerala CPI(M) state secretary; 17 new faces in state panel

Kollam (Kerala), Mar 9 (PTI) The 24th CPI(M) state conference, which will conclude here on Sunday evening, elected M V Govindan as the party's state secretary and an 89-member state committee, featuring 17 new faces.

A 17-member state secretariat was also constituted, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, M V Govindan, E P Jayarajan, Finance Minister K N Balagopal, K K Shailaja, T M Thomas Isaac, Industries Minister P Rajeeve, K K Jayachandran, Devaswom, Cooperation and Ports Minister V N Vasavan, Culture Minister Saji Cherian, M Swaraj, PWD and Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas, P K Biju, Puthalathu Dineshan, M V Jayarajan, and C N Mohanan.

The new members inducted into the state committee are Higher Education Minister R Bindu, Rajya Sabha MP John Britas, K Santhakumari, D K Murali, M Rajagopal, K Rafeek, M Mehaboob, V P Anil, K V Abdul Khader, M Prakashan Master, V K Sanoj, V Wassef, M Anilkumar, K Prasad, T R Raghunath, S Jayamohan and Biju Kandakkai.

Govindan, who hails from Morazha in Kannur district, is also a member of the CPI(M) polit bureau. He was elevated to state secretary after the late Kodiyeri Balakrishan stepped down due to health issues in August 2022.

He was elected as MLA thrice from Taliparamba Assembly constituency and handled Excise and Local-self government portfolios in the second Pinaray-led government, which retained power in the 2021 Assembly polls. PTI