The state conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] retained MV Govindan as the state secretary of the CPI(M) in Kerala. The 71-year-old Govindan would lead the party for the next three years, including the 2026 Kerala Assembly election. The 24th state conference of CPI(M) which began on March 6 in Kollam district, concluded on March 9.
Govindan, who is also a member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau, had first assumed the role of state secretary on August 28, 2022, after the late Kodiyeri Balakrishnan stepped down due to health concerns.
Before taking over as state secretary, Govindan served as the state minister for Local Self-Governments and Excise in the second Left Democratic Front (LDF) government from 2021 to 2022.
The state conference elected 17 members to the CPI(M) Kerala state secretariat. The only woman in the secretariat is senior leader and former Health Minister KK Shailaja. The other members include Pinarayi Vijayan, EP Jayarajan, KK Shailaja Teacher, TM Thomas Isaac, TP Ramakrishnan, KN Balagopal, P Rajeev, KK Jayachandran, VN Vasavan, Saji Cheriyan, M Swaraj, PA Mohammed Riyas, PK Biju, Puthalath Dineshan, MV Jayarajan, and CN Mohanan. The conference removed three members AK Balan, PK Sreemathi and Aanavoor Nagappan from the secretary position.
Further, 89 members were elected for the State committee including 13 women leaders and 17 new faces.
The new faces in the state committee include, V Vaseef, M Mehaboob, VK Sanoj and M Prakasan, K Santhakumar, R Bindu, VK Abdul Khadhar, Thrissur, K Prasad, M Rajagopal, DK Murali, K Rafeeq, VP Anil, M Anil Kumar, P R Raghunath, S Jayamohan, John Britas, and Biju Kandakai.
The conference saw the participation of top CPI(M) leaders, including Politburo members Ashok Dhawale, Subhashini Ali, Brinda Karat, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.