Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI on Sunday renewed its demand for the post of Deputy Opposition Leader, despite Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan reiterating that the issue was a "closed chapter." CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the party deserved the post and could not be denied it merely because it is stated that no such convention existed.

"The CPI deserves that post. Nobody can deny the CPI its rightful position by saying such a convention does not exist. Conventions and procedures can always be changed. Politics comes first, not tradition. What is important is that the LDF moves forward unitedly. Whether the position is big or small, the CPI believes responsibilities should be shared among the constituents," he said. 

The renewed demand comes after Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the proposal, saying it would not even be discussed within the LDF. Speaking to reporters in Kannur, Pinarayi said the Front functioned according to established procedures and conventions and had no plans to alter them.

"The Front is governed by certain procedures and conventions, and it has no plans to subvert these," he said. Pinarayi added that the post of Opposition Leader itself was not a subject for discussion within the LDF, and the same principle applied to the Deputy Opposition Leader's post as well.