‘People wished to see K K Shailaja as future CM of Kerala, that is the reason for defeat’; says P Jayarajan 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: P Jayarajan said in the CPM state committee that people wanted to see K K Shailaja as the future chief minister of the state. Reports said such remarks were made in the state committee meet convened to assess the reasons for the miserable defeat the party faced in the Lok Sabha polls. Harsh criticisms were raised against many including the chief minister.

‘The people of Vadakara want Shailaja to become the chief minister of Kerala. The people felt that she was fielded to see her defeat. It is reported that Jayarajan's remark was that the desire of people in Vadakara to keep Shailaja in the state without sending her to Delhi is a factor in the defeat.

Never before in the history of CPM has any leader of the party been presented as the future chief minister or has expressed such an opinion. The party had earlier adopted the method of denying the names of Gouri Amma, V Achuthanandan etc when heard as the chief ministerial candidate.

A section of the activists had already demanded that K K Shailaja should be made the chief minister in the future. When the ministers of the second Pinarayi government were chosen, there was huge protests for excluding her, on social media. She was able to carry forward the work of the health department in a better way without causing significant damage to their reputation, including during the Covid period. In a short period of time, she earned the title of a best minister.