In a significant political development, EP Jayarajan, a central committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has been removed as the convener of Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). The decision was made at a party state secretariat meeting on Friday, August 30, which was attended by Jayarajan.

The move comes after Jayarajan's controversial meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala. Jayarajan's revelation to the media about his meeting with Javadekar had sparked a row, putting the CPI(M) on the backfoot in their political battle against the Congress, whom they have been accusing of being the ‘B team’ of the BJP. 

On the morning of Lok Sabha polling day in Kerala, Jayarajan admitted to meeting Javadekar, at his son’s flat in Thiruvananthapuram. Although, Jayarajan clarified that it was just a “friendly meeting” and that no political discussions were held, it was evident that this revelation on the day of polling, did not go down well with CPI(M) supporters and party members, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 

Reacting sharply to the incident, Pinarayi Vijayan had then remarked that Jayarajan was “not careful” with the people he meets and interacts with. 

Following the decision to remove him as LDF convenor, Jayarajan reportedly left for Kannur without participating in the state committee meeting scheduled for Saturday. This development comes as the CPI(M) prepares for its branch-level meetings starting next week, leading up to the party congress in April 2025.

Jayarajan, once a trusted aide of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been at the center of several controversies in the past, including allegations of nepotism and a recent row over his family's business dealings with an entity linked to a BJP leader and former Union minister. His removal as LDF convener marks a significant setback for Jayarajan, who had been eyeing the state CPI(M) secretary post.