Thiruvananthapuram: CPI senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam has been picked as the Kerala secretary of the party after the demise of state secretary Kanam Rajendran.
An executive committee meeting chaired by CPI general secretary D Raja took the decision. The state council will have to ratify it.
Raja said that the decision was unanimous.
Just ahead of his death on Friday, Rajendran had requested that he may be given leave owing to ill-health and suggested Viswam for the post.
CPI is the second largest party after the CPM in the ruling LDF in Kerala. The party has four ministers.
Viswam had earlier served as forest minister in Kerala.