Row over CPM leader P Sasi's posting at Kerala CMO

Kerala CPM leader P Sasi was earlier accused of misconduct with women, but the court had dismissed the case

The appointment of Kerala CPM leader P Sasi as political secretary to chief minister has triggered a row as Sasi earlier faced allegations of misconduct towards women.

Sasi was expelled from CPM in 2011 after allegations of misconduct toward women surfaced. But he was reinstated to the party in 2018 after the allegations were dismissed by a court. He was inducted to the party-state committee recently.

On Tuesday the CPM state committee decided to appoint him as political secretary to the chief minister.

Subsequently, there were reports that CPM senior leader and state committee member P Jayarajan raised objections against Sasi's appointment. Social media posts backing Jayarajan had also appeared on some pro-CPM groups.

However, after the CPM leadership justified the appointment of Sasi, Jayarajan told reporters that the reports that he objected to Sasi's appointment were baseless and the decision to appoint Sasi was taken unanimously. But Jayarajan as well as other CPM leaders maintained that the discussions that took place in the CPM state secretariat could not be made open.

Both Jayarajan and Sasi are leaders from CPM's stronghold Kannur. Jayarajan enjoyed much mass support in Kannur, which had not gone down with the CPM leadership. Even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had indirectly flayed the hype being given to Jayarajan. There were also widespread allegations that Jayarajan was being sidelined in the party.