Two-member CPI-M panel to probe defeat at Thrikkakara bypoll

Thiruvananthapuram, June 25 (IANS) The three-day meeting of the CPI-M leadership held here, concluded on Saturday in which the party appointed a two-member Commission to examine the crushing defeat of its candidate at the Thrikkakara assembly bypoll held on May 31.The Commission includes senior leaders, both former ministers -- A.K. Balan and T.P. Ramakrishnan.The by-election became a necessity when sitting two time Congress legislator P.T. Thomas passed away in December last year.When the Congress fielded Uma, widow of Thomas, the CPI-M brought in an interventional cardiologist, Joe Joseph.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself led the campaign and cabinet ministers and about 60 legislators camped in the constituency in support of their candidate. They were supremely confident that their candidate will win easy, but when votes were counted, Uma won with the highest ever margin (over 25,000 votes) recorded in the constituency. The Commission has been asked to examine in detail why the party lost including the candidate selection, as the name of Joseph came out of the blue. Earlier, the name of youth party leader Arunkumar was announced and his name was also painted on walls.There were reports then that there were differences of opinion in the CPI-M Ernakulam district committee over the candidate selection as one section wanted Arunkumar, while another including State Industries Minister P. Rajeev wanted Joseph.Incidentally after the crushing defeat, Vijayan has not come before the media.
--IANS sg/skp/

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