Thiruvananthapuram: Curtains went up at the 23rd Party Congress of the CPI-M that opened here on Wednesday with veteran politburo member S.Ramachandran Pillai unfurling the party flag at the venue in Kannur.
Kannur is the bastion of the CPI-M with the largest number of party workers in any district in the country besides being the home turf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
On Wednesday morning, Pinaryi arrived at the venue to around 800 eagerly waiting delegates. He was seen greeting every delegate in traditional CPI-M style with his right arm held high.
Kannur city has turned red with the colour red dominating the place. Delegates arriving at the venue included array of invitees from various fields, film stars, writers and others.
For the first time in the history of the state, a sitting CPI-M government has retained office by winning the 2021 April Assembly polls walloping the Congress-led UDF.
Currently, the party is passing through its worst times in Bengal and Tripura.
Politburo member M.A. Baby clarified that the party’s agenda is to ensure the BJP is booted out.
“We will not think twice before joining hands with even a demon to oust the BJP. The party Congress will come out with a clear plan against communalism,” said Baby.
Ironically, Wednesday is the formation day of the BJP.
One of the agendas of the meeting is to prepare a road map for an alternate agenda for the development of the state and country for which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin and fraternal delegate D.Raja, general secretary of the CPI are also attending the event.
Another keenly watched thing is will veteran Congress leader, a former Union and State Minister K.V.Thomas, be attending the event. The veteran leader’s application to participate at a seminar in the event was shot down twice by the Congress party high command.
“Am meeting the media on Thursday at 11 a.m,” said Thomas.
–IANS