Achuthanandan’s candidature in state unit’s hands
March 5th, 2011 - 8:16 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 5 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday said the party’s Kerala unit will decide on Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s candidature for the forthcoming assembly polls.
The 87-year-old chief minister reacted, saying he “has full faith in the party”.
CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said a final decision on Achuthanandan’s candidature will be taken at the state committee meeting next week in Thiruvananthapuram.
Yechury was talking to reporters in New Delhi on the final day of the party’s two-day central committee meeting, which discussed the April-May assembly polls in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat will explain the meeting’s deliberations at a press conference Sunday, an office-bearer said.
Reacting to Yechury’s statement, Achuthanandan, who attended the meeting, said: “I have full faith in the party.”
“Let them (state committee) take a decision. Then we all will know,” he added.
Achuthanandan had said recently that he was “ready to contest the polls if the party desired so”.
Yechury said the candidates’ list will be finalised at the state committee meeting, which will be attended by Karat.
“If there is any need of a review, it will be taken up by the central leadership later,” he added.
A rift between two factions in the Kerala CPI-M unit — one led by Achuthanandan and the other by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan — was expected to surface prior to the April 13 polls. Vijayan is reported to have a majority say in the state unit.
The party had earlier suspended both the leaders from the politburo.
When the suspension was revoked later, Achuthanandan was downgraded to central committee member.
During the last Assembly polls in 2006 ,the central leadership of the party initially decided that both Vijayan and Achuthanandan need not contest the polls.
But, as the decision was publicised, Achuthanandan’s supporters made it an issue and took to the streets, forcing the leadership to reverse the decision.
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- Achuthanandan not in politburo, Buddhadeb in - Apr 09, 2012
- Achuthanandan, Pinarayi tensions under scanner again (Letter from Kerala) - Oct 27, 2011
- Achuthanandan versus Vijayan - and CPI-M? (Kerala Newsletter) - May 13, 2012
- CPI-M asks state units, leaders to keep peace - May 17, 2011
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