Achuthanandan is legislature party leader of CPI(M)

Thiruvananthapuram, May 17: A meeting of the newly-elected legislators of the CPI(M) in Kerala today unanimously elected veteran leader V S Achuthanandan as their legislature party leader.

Party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan introduced the proposal at the meeting chaired by senior leader Paloli Mohammed Kutty and it was approved unanimously during the meeting that lasted only for 10 minutes.

Mr Achuthanandan's name had already been cleared by the CPI(M) State Committee to head the next Left Democratic Front(LDF) Government in Kerala.

The CPI(M)-led LDF got 98 seats in the 140-member House in the April-May elections to the 12th Assembly.

Eightytwo-year-old Achuthanandan will be sworn-in as the 20th Chief Minister of Kerala at 1600 hrs tomorrow at the Central Stadium. It is for the first time that the swearing-in ceremony is being held outside the Raj Bhavan.

According to sources, Mr Achuthanandan is likely to head a 19-member Cabinet with the CPI(M) taking the lion's share of 12 berths and the post of Assembly Speaker.

It is also unlikely that Mr Achuthanandan would be given the crucial Home portfolio, in view of the reported strong opposition within the party, mainly from the supporters of the party State Secretary.

UNI