A. Pradeepkumar appointed as private secretary to CM Pinarayi Vijayan
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Thiruvananthapuram: A. Pradeepkumar, a senior CPI(M) leader and former three-time MLA from Kozhikode, has been appointed as the new private secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
His appointment follows the elevation of K.K. Ragesh, the CM’s former private secretary, to the position of Kannur district secretary last month.
A prominent figure in the CPI(M), the 60-year-old Pradeepkumar has previously served as president of both the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the party’s student and youth wings. He is currently a member of the influential CPI(M) state committee.
Pradeepkumar represented the Kozhikode North assembly constituency for three consecutive terms before stepping aside in 2021 in line with the CPI(M)’s internal rotation policy.
He has been widely recognised for his developmental initiatives, particularly his efforts to improve infrastructure in government schools within his constituency.
In acknowledgement of his contributions to architecture and public infrastructure, the Indian Institute of Architects recently awarded him an honorary fellowship—making him the first politician to receive this distinction. Interestingly, his daughter is also an architect.
Respected across party lines for his affable nature and strong organisational skills, Pradeepkumar is regarded as a grassroots leader who steadily rose through the ranks of the CPI(M). A sports enthusiast, he has previously served as president of the Kozhikode District Football Association and as a member of the Kerala State Sports Council.
Responding to the appointment, Pradeepkumar said, “This is a responsibility entrusted to me by the party. After three terms in parliamentary politics and a stint in party work, I’ve now been given a new role. I will give it my best.”
In 2019, while serving as an MLA, Pradeepkumar was fielded by the CPI(M) in the Lok Sabha elections from Kozhikode but lost to incumbent Congress MP M.K. Raghavan.
(inputs from IANS)