Atheist communist’s que up for high post’s in new Devaswom

Kalanjoor Madhu being considered for TDB chief post
www.newindpress.com

T’PURAM: Kalanjoor Madhu, brother of K N Balagopal, Political Secretary to Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, is being considered for the presidentship of Travancore Devaswom Board. According to sources, Kalanjoor Madhu is acceptable to both the CPM and the NSS leadership.

Madhu is also the director board member of the NSS. The NSS had supported the LDF Government’s decision to amend the Devaswom Act and also the move to dissolve the present boards.

With the latest amendment of the Devaswom Board Act, among the three board members, only one person will be from the general category. The other two include a woman and a representative of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.

The CPM has decided to wrest the president post of the TDB though the Janata Dal led by M P Veerendra Kumar has also staked claim. Sources said that the woman representative of the board would be selected by the Janata Dal.

The RSP and the CPI are in the race for the post of the member in the SC/ST category. If the president post of Cochin Devaswom Board is awarded to the CPI, then the third nominee of the TDB will be selected by the RSP.

However, A Padmakumar who represented the Konni Assembly constituency during 1991-96, is another probable for the TDB president post. Since he is a CPM state committee member and a Pinarayi loyalist, his name has also been featured for the post. But Devaswom Minister G Sudhakaran has said in the LDF that mainstream party cadres should be avoided from being appointed as board members.

The final list of board members will be decided at the LDF meeting scheduled on February 22. With the CPM deciding to wrest the TDB post, it is almost certain that the CPI will bargain for the president post in Cochin Devaswom Board. Their nominees will be decided at the party state council and secretariat, which will be held from February 14 to 16.

The Janata Dal has also decided to stake claim in the Guruvayur Devaswom Board, which has six nominated members. The Congress (S) which had representation in the previous boards will also be pitching for their nominee in the Guruvayur Devaswom.

Responses