Search Underway for New Private Secretary to CM Vijayan as Ragesh Takes Helm as CPI-M's Kannur Secretary
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Synopsis
On April 15, CM Pinarayi Vijayan's private secretary K.K. Ragesh was appointed as the new Secretary of Kannur district shortly after CPI-M's General Secretary M.A. Baby called for the inclusion of younger leaders in the party.
Key Takeaways
- K.K. Ragesh appointed as new Kannur district Secretary.
- Appointment made in a high-level party meeting attended by CM Vijayan.
- Kannur district has the highest number of CPI-M members in India.
- Ragesh faces controversy over his wife's university appointment.
- All eyes on who will replace Ragesh as Vijayan's private secretary.
Thiruvananthapuram/Kannur, April 15 (NationPress) Just hours after M.A. Baby, the newly appointed General Secretary of the CPI-M, advocated for the induction of more youthful leaders into party positions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's private secretary, K.K. Ragesh, was announced as the new Secretary of Kannur district on Tuesday.
This decision was made during a high-ranking party meeting attended by Vijayan himself.
At 54, Ragesh is also a former member of the Rajya Sabha (2015-21).
As a result of his new role, he will be relocating from the state capital back to his hometown in Kannur.
Kannur district, located in northern Kerala, holds the distinction of being the district with the largest number of CPI-M cardholders in the nation.
Out of the one million CPI-M members, approximately half are from Kerala.
For nearly two decades, Ragesh has maintained a close relationship with Vijayan, who also comes from Kannur.
Within the CPI-M Kerala unit, many senior leaders, including Vijayan, state party Secretary M.V. Govindan, former ministers K.K. Shailaja and E.P. Jayarajan, as well as the newly appointed CPI-M state Secretariat member M.V. Jayarajan, who previously led the Kannur party, also originate from Kannur.
However, similar to other high-ranking officials associated with Vijayan's office who are embroiled in various controversies, Ragesh is also facing scrutiny concerning the appointment of his wife, Priya Varghese, as an Associate Professor at Kannur University.
Allegations suggesting her appointment contravened UGC guidelines are currently pending in the Supreme Court, with a ruling anticipated.
During the height of this controversy, which sparked significant debate both within and outside the Kerala Assembly, Vijayan defended his aide against opposition attacks.
With Ragesh now assuming the influential role of Kannur district Secretary, all attention will be directed towards P. Jayarajan, often regarded as the district’s most favored leader.
Another significant appointment that many are watching closely is who will take over as Vijayan’s new private secretary, especially with local body elections approaching later this year and state elections set for the following year.
