Achuthanandan out of electoral politics

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 16: The Communisty Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala today decided not to field Opposition leader and Polit Buro member V S Achuthanandan in the coming Assembly Elections in the State.

It has been decided that while some party members would contest the elections as part of the Left Democratic Front, leaders like V S Achuthanandan and Party General Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan along with other Secretariat members would focus on party affairs, a party statement said here tonight.

The party's State Committee meeting today unanimously agreed upon the candidates' list finalised by the State Secretariat.

The release said a final decision would be taken after it was discussed at the Party's District Committees and the Assembly Constituency committees.

Criticising the media for its false propaganda against the party, it said the media had tried to project CPI(M) as a party full of problems.

There were reports that party general secretary Prakash Karat, who attended the crucial meeting, described the situation within the party as 'explosive.' He left for New Delhi in the afternoon. Soon after the meeting was over, hundreds of party activists gathered at the Contonment House, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, to express their solidarity with the 'hurt' comrade.

Also, unprecedented in the history of the CPI(M) in Kerala, protest marches, e-mail, SMS and poster campaigns were being launched throughout the state against the manner in which Mr Achuthanandan was dropped.

Sensing the mood, the customary press brifing after the meet was not convened even as scores of mediapersons waited for several hours outside the AKG Centre.

According to sources, the State Secretariat, in which the supporters of party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan have a huge majority, decided yesterday not to feild Mr Achuthanandan and instead project Left Democratic Front convener Paloli Mohammed Kutty as the Chief Minister candidate if the Marxist-led combine come to power after the elections. However, in the state Committee which met subsequently, a majority of them opined that it would be good for the party if Mr Achuthanandan contested the polls.

Following which the state Secretariate met again to take stock of the situation and came out with a strong stand against Mr Achuthanandan. The State Committee which met for the second time in the day reportedly approved the list of candidates proposed by the State Secretariat.

UNI

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