Aranmula: Sensing a political opportunity, two BJP leaders, including BJP Pathanamthitta district president VO Sooraj, have visited the house of CPM leader A Padmakumar, who had expressed his dissatisfaction over the state committee’s decision to include Health Minister Veena George as a special invitee to the state committee. The two leaders, VO Sooraj and Joint Secretary Ayiroor Pradeep, visited Padmakumar at his residence on Monday evening and spent around 15 minutes there, leaving many party supporters and political observers watchful regarding the developments.

According to unofficial reports from BJP circles, Padmakumar expressed his willingness to join the party if the state leadership invites him. However, the leaders have refrained from commenting officially on the meeting. It is understood that Padmakumar shared his reasons for criticizing the CPM decision regarding Veena George with the BJP leaders.

Meanwhile, the CPM may take disciplinary action against Padmakumar for expressing his dissent openly. The party is expected to discuss the matter on the 12th. Political circles are keenly awaiting to see what stance Padmakumar will take after any potential action.

The incident followed the announcement of the new state committee at the CPM State Conference, which was held recently. After the announcement of the state committee by the party leadership, Padmakumar posted a message on Facebook saying, "Deception, betrayal, humiliation. Balance sheet of 52 years. Lal Salaam." His anger stemmed from his exclusion from the state committee and the decision to make Veena George a special invitee.

After this, on Sunday night at 11 PM, Padmakumar returned to his home in Aranmula from the state conference venue in Kollam. The next morning, he attended his regular badminton game at the shuttle court in Aranmula and reiterated his stance in an interview given to Mathrubhumi News.

“Two leaders from Pathanamthitta, Raju Abraham and KP Udayabhanu, have entered the state committee. We have nothing against that. But Veena George is a person who has done nothing for the party in an organizational front. She is a person whom we had identified as a suitable candidate for the party in Pathanamthitta district and brought her into the party. Someone like her becomes an MLA twice and suddenly becomes a minister as well,” said Padmakumar.

“She is a capable woman, no doubt. But when someone with such limited experience in the organizational front is given a high position in the party organizational structure by considering only her parliamentary activities, it is quite natural that many people would feel dissatisfied. Someone needs to speak up about this, and that’s why I did," Padmakumar said.

On Monday evening, Pathanamthitta CPM district secretary Raju Abraham visited Padmakumar at his house and spent some time discussing about the controversy. After the discussion, Raju Abraham has said that, since the controversy is about organisational matters, it is the state committee which should take a decision regarding the developments.