Mon Mar 03 12:50:11 UTC 2025: ## CPI(M) Kottayam District Secretary Appointment Delayed Until After State Conference

**KOTTAYAM, March 3, 2025** – The selection of a new secretary for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Kottayam district committee has been postponed until after the party’s State conference in Kollam, taking place from March 6th to 9th. The delay follows the unexpected death of A.V. Russel on February 21st.

Initially, the appointment was expected to be announced last Saturday. However, scheduling conflicts with party State secretary M.V. Govindan led to the postponement. Party sources now indicate that the final decision will be made at the party secretariat and communicated to the district leadership afterward.

The upcoming State conference has further complicated the timeline. With delegates from Kottayam departing for Kollam on Wednesday, any district committee meeting to announce the new secretary will have to wait until after the conference concludes.

Three leading contenders are currently being considered: T.R. Raghunath, a district secretariat member and CITU district secretary; K.M. Radhakrishnan, district secretary of the Karshaka Sangam; and K. Anilkumar, the only remaining State committee member from Kottayam. While Anilkumar was previously excluded from the district committee, his State committee membership is seen as a significant advantage.

Party insiders suggest that candidates elected to the State committee from Kottayam will have a stronger chance of securing the district secretary position. The appointment process is thus directly tied to the outcome of the Kollam conference.

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