Kochi: The newly formed CPM state committee elected Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as its secretary till the next conference of the party. Kodiyeri, a former minister of Kerala, has been leading the party in the state since 2015. He replaced Pinarayi Vijayan as the secretary.
Born in Kodiyeri village of Kannur district in 1953 to Kunjunni Kurup and Narayani Amma, Balakrishnan started his political career through the students' wing of the party. He led SFI in the 1970s in Kerala.
He represented the Thalassery constituency in 1982, 1987, 2001, 2006 and 2011 in the Kerala Assembly. Currently, Kodiyeri is a member of the top body of the party, the politburo.
As per a party resolution, one can retain the position of secretary only for three consecutive terms. Kodiyeri will leave the chair in the next conference scheduled to be held in 2025.
Kodiyeri led CPM into two consecutive victories in the Assembly elections, a first in the history of Kerala.
His wife is SR Vinodini, and they have two children, Binoy Kodiyeri and Bineesh Kodiyeri.