New Delhi: The CPM is contemplating trimming the size of the politburo and central committee even as it is set to replace a few veteran leaders above the age of 75 years from these apex bodies. In all likelihood Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will continue in the 95-member Central Committee as he would be granted relaxation in age bar.
Preliminary discussions on
It is almost certain S Ramachandran Pillai, 84, Biman Bose, 81, Hannan Mollah, 76, would be relieved from the 17-member politburo. In Pillai's place, A Vijayaraghavan will be inducted into the PB and brought to the Centre.
Kisan Sabha leader and former state secretary of Maharashtra CPM Ashok Dhawle may replace Hannan Mollah in the PB.
Other central committee members from Kerala who are likely to make way for younger comrades are Vaikom Viswan, 82, and P Karunakaran, 76. In their place K N Balagopal and P Rajeeve will be inducted into the CC.
M C Josephine is also likely to be relieved from the central committee especially after the controversies around her. However, party insiders say the community factor will have to be taken into consideration while making such a decision.
There are no senior leaders from Bengal in central committee who could be inducted into the PB at the moment.
Representation from West Bengal and Tripura
The party is of the view that the representation from states like West Bengal and Tripura, where the party is weak, should be commensurate with its organisational strength there.
Those who have raised the issue believe that if the representation of the states in the top party bodies are based on the organisational strength of the party then it could help in cutting the expenditure.
However, a section of leaders say that it would not be easy to drop healthy and active members belonging to the weak states from the organisational set up. The existing strength of the politburo is 17 and the central committee, 95.
If an understanding is reached on the matter at the politburo meeting, which is scheduled to be held on March 12, then the central committee will consider the proposals at the meeting to be held in March-end.
Subsequently, the matter will be placed before the Party Congress for approval in April. The Party Congress, which is the national conference, is to be held later in Kannur.
Even if the size of the committee is reduced the faction of general secretary Sitaram Yechury will continue to remain weak in the Politburo.
The change in the strength of rival factions in the central committee would depend on the number of members who would be dropped from Andhra Pradesh and Bengal.
