CPM Pathanamthitta meet explodes: Demands mount to oust Pinarayi Vijayan as Opposition Leader

PATHANAMTHITTA: Tracking a bruising defeat in the Assembly elections, internal strife within the CPM has broken into the open. At a heated District Secretariat meeting, local leaders lashed out at Pinarayi Vijayan for failing to take accountability for the electoral debacle, with the committee demanding his immediate removal from the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Party insiders pointed out that Pinarayi Vijayan was granted a special age-limit relaxation specifically to secure a victory for the party. Critics argued that instead of owning up to the electoral rout, Pinarayi Vijayan’s move to assume a new leadership role was unacceptable. In a sharp rebuke, two secretariat members explicitly demanded that Vijayan self-reflect and step down voluntarily.

The rebellion wasn't limited to Pinarayi Vijayan; CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan also found himself in the crosshairs. In a scathing indictment, members alleged that Govindan—who was tasked with salvaging the party's fortunes—prioritised safeguarding his own family's interests instead. Former Health Minister Veena George was among the prominent leaders present at the tumultuous meeting.