Kodiyeri said that the state secretariat of the party did not discuss the induction of a new minister to fill the vacancy of Saji. He was addressing the media from the AKG centre after the secretariat meeting.

By stating that CPM is a party which functions in accordance with the constitution, Kodiyeri added that Saji Cheriyan had resigned on his own volition after acknowledging the lapses in his speech.

“By this, he had raised a crucial democratic value. Though the excerpts from his speech triggered widespread controversies, he could resolve everything with the resignation,” said the CPM state secretary.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the portfolios of Saji, such as culture and fisheries, will soon hand over them to his colleagues in the cabinet. K Radhakrishnan and VN Vasavan are likely to get the two major ministries.