Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat and senior politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai arrived at Thiruvananthapuram on April 16 (Wednesday) for a state committee meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday, which will choose a new secretariat for the Kerala unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

It is believed that the selection of the 15-member secretariat is likely to be a smooth affair as both the factions, one led by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and the other by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, have been given strong warning by the central command that infighting will invite strict action.