Senior CPM leader EP Jayarajan has been removed by the party as the convener of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, following the row over his public statement on the morning of Lok Sabha polls in Kerala about his meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.

The decision to remove Jayarajan from the post of LDF convener was taken at the CPI-M state secretariat meeting held here on Friday, which was also attended by Jayarajan. Reportedly upset over the decision, Jayarajan returned to Kannur without taking part in the state committee meeting slated for Saturday.

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The decision was reported in the state committee meeting held on Saturday. As Jayarajan is a member of the CPI-M Central Committee, the central leadership will announce the action against him. Jayarajan, who reached his home in Kannur on Saturday morning, did not respond to reporters’ queries.

Jayarajan’s controversial meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar and his admission of the same on the polling day had put the CPM in a major crisis.

On the polling day of the Lok Sabha election in Kerala, Jayarajan admitted that he had met BJP leader Javadekar. Jayarajan said that Javadekar visited him at his son’s flat in Thiruvananthapuram but didn’t hold any political discussions.

Jayarajan’s admission of his meeting with Javadekar had put the CPI-M in a difficult situation, dealing a major blow to the Left party which had been campaigning against the Congress’ soft Hindutva line. He then came under fire from the party, which delayed disciplinary action till the elections were over. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that Jayarajan should have avoided meeting Javadekar.

Jayarajan had been harbouring a grudge in the CPI-M for a couple of years. After the death of Kodiyeri Balakrishan in 2022, he had expected to get the party’s state secretary post. However, it went to his junior colleague M V Govindan. Last year, Jayarajan faced criticism for keeping away from party functions.

It has been reported that senior CPI-M leader and former Minister TP Ramakrishnan will replace EP Jayarajan.

Meanwhile, in a relief to actor Mukesh, who is facing rape charges, the CPI-M has decided not to seek the resignation of the actor as Kollam MLA. The party’s stance is that the MLA has the right to continue in his post until proven guilty by a court of law.