NEW DELHI: Dropping K K Shailaja from the second Pinarayi cabinet will be discussed at the next CPM Central Committee meet. Dropping her from the cabinet has sparked new discussions in the CPM after some central leaders decided to raise the issue. It is learnt that many leaders are displeased with it.

The central leaders thought that Shailaja would be retained even when asserted that the cabinet will have new faces. The state leadership informed the central leadership that the decision to drop the entire old team was taken unanimously by the state committee. The central committee and the politburo meeting are likely to convene next month.

The move by the central leadership comes at a time when allegations against the CPM are likely to be raised at the national level. At the meeting of politburo members from Kerala yesterday morning, Kodiyeri came up with the idea of all new faces. The opinion of the central leadership was also sought in this regard.

Party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and politburo member Brinda Karat pointed out that dropping Shailaja would lead to unnecessary discussions and controversy. However, other PB members from Kerala like S Ramachandran Pillai and M A Baby, stuck to the stand that relaxations need not be given only to Shailaja. They said that everyone excelled well in the previous government and that there should be no discrimination in it.

Even when acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan said the party's decision is final, the other party workers and others are asking whether the central leaders would intervene and bring Shailaja back. There is no chance for it as the 21 ministers have been picked up. However, in the present situation, there will be a reshuffle in the cabinet after two and a half years when Ganesh Kumar and Kadannapally Ramachandran return in the second turn. A section believes that the door for Shailajai would be opened then.