MV Govindan Extends Support to LPST Rank Holders as Protest Enters 129th Day

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan visited LPST rank holders continuing their protest in front of the Secretariat for the 129th day, demanding appointments, and expressed his support for their agitation. He said the UDF government was turning a blind eye to the protest and adopting an inhumane approach. CPI(M) state secretariat member V Sivankutty and MP John Brittas accompanied him.

Valarmathi, secretary of the protest committee, has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 17 days. The candidates have decided to continue the agitation with renewed intensity. Valarmathi is being kept alive with the help of intravenous fluids. She had announced that she would refuse medical treatment, alleging that the government was continuing its cruel persecution and harassment. A doctor from the General Hospital visited the protest venue to assess her health condition.

The main demand of the candidates is the implementation of the 1:25 ratio. However, the government has maintained that it will not accept this demand. After the candidates first launched their protest, the government sought 45 days to study the issue. With no action taken even after that period, the candidates resumed their agitation.

As part of intensifying the protest, Valarmathi had shaved her head before beginning the hunger strike. She has appeared for the LPST examination three times and secured a place on the rank list. In the examination she took as her final opportunity, she secured the 168th rank in Palakkad district.

Even the candidate who secured the first rank in the list published on May 31, 2025, has not received an appointment. Only 239 candidates have been appointed across the state, while 11,000 people are included in the LPST rank list.