THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has convened an emergency leadership meeting less than two weeks after the five-day state leadership meetings. General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and senior Politburo member Prakash Karat will be participating in the state secretariat and committee meetings scheduled today and tomorrow. Critical decisions can be expected. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan at his home yesterday. Kodiyeri is resting at his home due to illness.

A five-day leadership meeting was held earlier this month to approve the guidelines for improving the functioning of the state government and for the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. It is believed that the leadership meeting will decide to make special arrangements for the day-to-day operations of the party state centre. A suggestion has been raised in the party that since state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan needs treatment and rest, he should be replaced. An available PB meeting will also be held this morning. Despite being ill, Kodiyeri managed the day-to-day affairs of the party yesterday as well.

Kodiyeri, who was reelected as state secretary in the Kochi state conference, has another two-and-a-half-year term. According to sources, the idea is to give the charge to one or more secretariat members on a temporary basis. In the recent past, when Kodiyeri was given leave for more than a year due to health problems, then LDF convener A. Vijayaraghavan was given a temporary charge. The names of Politburo member Vijayaraghavan, Central Committee members EP Jayarajan and AK Balan are being considered for the post of party state secretary.

The leadership meeting will seriously discuss the government's ongoing dispute with the governor. The party may intervene to prevent matters from reaching an administrative crisis. CPM feels that this is a serious issue at the national level.