KOCHI: Public Works Minister P A Mohammad Riyas, chief minister's political secretary Puthalath Dinesan and M Swaraj have been freshly inducted into the CPM state secretariat. Ministers V N Vasavan, Saji Cherian and former MLA K K Jayachandran, P K Biju and Anavur Nagappan have been accommodated into the state secretariat for the first time.

An 89-member state committee was also elected. There are 16 new faces in it. Only Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has concessions in the new state committee. All prominent leaders above 75, including former ministers G Sudhakaran, M M Mani, senior leaders Ananthalavattom Anandan and Koliyakode Krishnan Nair, have been dropped from the state committee.

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was chosen state secretary for the third time out of a total of 17 members in the state secretariat. This time the number of members was increased to 17 from the 16-member state secretariat.