Deshabimani Weekly editor Vijayan quits

Marxist thinker and ideologue M.N. Vijayan yesterday announced his decision to quit the editorship of the Deshabimani Weekly.

The decision is considered the first ripple emanating from the high-voltage state committee election of the CPM Kerala unit in Malappuram on Tuesday. It comes a day after the official panel led by party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan swept the party's state committee polls.

Vijayan himself played down the resignation, stating that it had nothing to do with who was the party secretary, but political circles here feel that his resignation was not too much of a surprise after his open stand against party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in recent times.

Vijayan told a local television channel yesterday that he had decided on his resignation even before the Malappuram state committee meeting and that he had withheld the announcement only because he did not want the announcement to have an effect on the state committee poll.

Vijayan said it was to be decided whether the Paadom magazine, which was another media vehicle that had created headaches for the CPM in recent times, should be revived.