KOLLAM: CPM state secretary M V Govindan has called on party leaders to refrain from causing unnecessary contests during meetings, stressing that such actions create hurdles in the smooth conduct of sessions. His statement came during a district secretariat meeting, convened to address the escalating factionalism in branch and local meetings across the Kollam district.

Govindan emphasized that while preparing the panel for the new committee, leaders must seriously consider the feedback raised alongside established criteria. He pointed out that intense competition emerged in the local assemblies of Kallelibhagam, Thodiyur and Alappad South under the Karunagappally area committee, an area where factionalism has been particularly strong. The situation grew tense at the Kallelibhagam conference when competition was not permitted, leading the Area Committee to suspend the meeting. Similar attempts to introduce competition were made in local meetings within the Chathannur and Kollam area committees.

Addressing the Karunagappally area committee at the district committee office, Govindan sternly warned against filing complaints to the media. He stated that complaints directed to the state secretary of the party must also go through the district secretary and bypassing this protocol would not be tolerated. The remarks come amidst a directive to investigate a media complaint against the Karunagappally Boys and Girls School Managing Committee, which is controlled by the CPM.

The complaint alleged that checks were illegally issued from the school’s managing committee account to CPM district committee member P R Vasanthan, a former DYFI state president and his wife, who is employed as a teacher at the same school. Govindan stressed that financial transactions should be handled with caution, urging party members to avoid any attempts to bypass the law, even with good intentions.

Changes have been made to the leadership of the Karunagappally Boys and Girls School Managing Committee. The current president is V P Jayaprakash Menon, who is an ally of P R Vasanthan and heads the CPM-controlled Labor Contract Society overseeing the school's construction. M V Govindan proposed P K Balachandran to take over the position, replacing V P Jayaprakash Menon.