Key Points
Padmakumar criticized his exclusion from state committee
He questioned Veena George's swift rise in party ranks
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's influence evident in committee choices
Padmakumar admits mistake, awaits disciplinary decision
Now the ball is in the court of the newly-elected 89-member state committee, featuring 17 new faces, and the 17-member state secretariat, which will meet on Friday to decide if disciplinary action needs to be taken against Padmakumar.
Padmakumar was expecting a nomination to the powerful state committee from his home district Pathanamthitta, but after finding his name missing from the list on the last day of the State Party Conference that ended at Kollam on March 9, he walked out of the meeting venue.
He is a former legislator and ex-president of the Travancore Devaswom Board and after walking out from the meeting he publicly voiced his displeasure over the inclusion of state Health Minister Veena George as an invitee to the state committee.
Padmakumar also questioned how George, a party member for just nine years, secured a position while he, with five decades of party experience, was overlooked.
With his outburst getting huge traction, a day later Padmakumar admitted that he made a mistake as he should have expressed his feelings within the four walls of the party.
Padmakumar also stated that he is ready to accept any punishment from the party for his indiscipline.
Incidentally, the 17 new people inducted into the state committee and secretariat were those who are in the good books of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
This reveals that CM Vijayan has an iron grip not just in the government, but also in the party.
With CM Vijayan already fuming against the indiscipline, only a miracle will help Padmakumar escape disciplinary action by the party.
Significantly, a few other senior leaders, who are unhappy with being sidelined by the party, have not come out in the open like Padmakumar.
