Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's close aide, V. Joy, will now take over as the new Thiruvananthapuram CPI(M) District Secretary.

The decision came at the party's top brass meeting which was chaired by none other than Vijayan on Thursday.

Joy is a two-time legislator representing the Varkala Assembly constituency in the Thiruvananthapuram district.

The need for a change in the CPI(M) District Secretary was necessitated after the incumbent Secretary Anavoor Nagappan was elected to the state Secretariat of the party and according to party rules, when an elevation takes place, he/she has to forego the present post.

Ever since the rejig took place last year appointing Nagappan into the state secretariat, there was some confusion in the Thiruvananthapuram district unit of the party that who should be the new District Secretary.

Incidentally, the Thiruvananthapuram district unit of the party is the most powerful unit because of its proximity to the state government as well as to the state party headquarters.

The confusion arose because there are a few factions in the party like State Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Nagappan and another one Kadakampally Surendran, who are at the helm, and each of them had their close aides eyeing for the post.

With the presence of the Chief Minister in the meeting, the elevation of V. Joy took place without any protest, as Vijayan continues to have the last word in the government as well as the party.