Son help in drugs case, Kerala CPM secy quits

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 13

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State secretary of the Kerala CPM Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has stepped down in the wake of arrest of his son in a narcotics case.

He has, however, officially stepped down citing health reason. A Vijaya Raghavan, CPM central committee member, will assume the charge in his absence.

CPM Rajya Sabha MP K Somaprasad said Balakrishnan had requested to be relieved from the post in view of a medical condition. “He stepped down as his health condition would not permit him to be active in the upcoming local election. A full-time secretary was needed,” Somaprasad said, maintaining the state secretariat acceded to his request to relieve him.

The ruling dispensation has its back to the wall, with the strident Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the aggressive BJP mounting pressure on it on several fronts, including a gold smuggling case and an Enforcement Directorate probe against Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh. Balakrishnan, considered to be wielding clout in the party, has stepped down ahead of the local elections scheduled for December and subsequent the Assembly poll, which is due for May.