Chintha Jerome set to be DYFI president; M Vijin likely to become secretary

Kottayam: CPM state committee member Chintha Jerome is set to become the state president of the party's youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), while Kalliasseri MLA M Vijin is likely to take over as state secretary.

The decision was taken at a leadership meeting held recently, though the formal announcement will be made at the DYFI state conference in Thrissur from August 19 to 22, according to party sources.

Chintha, a prominent CPM leader from Kollam, has been active in the party since her student days. Her support among the party's state and national leadership is understood to have worked in her favour.

Some leaders had backed former Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran for the president's post. However, CPM state secretary M V Govindan and other leaders eventually favoured Chintha for the position.

Vijin, who has been elected MLA from Kalliasseri for a second consecutive term, is set to move to the DYFI after serving as SFI state secretary. His performance in that role strengthened his case for the DYFI leadership.

The new age limit of 38 for DYFI office-bearers also worked in Vijin's favour. The decision to make the age limit mandatory had drawn criticism, with some leaders describing it as a unilateral move by M V Govindan.

The DYFI normally changes its leadership every three years. However, four years have passed since its last state conference, held in Pathanamthitta in 2022. V K Sanoj and V Vaseef were elected as the organisation's state president and secretary at that conference.