Headlines
After boycotting CPI-M meet, Achuthanandan to attend CPI meet
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 25
After walking out
of the 21st CPI-M state party conference, former chief minister
V.S.Achuthanandan is all set to attend the 22nd state party conference
of the Communist Party of India (CPI) that begins at Kottayam Friday.
He
is miffed over being listed as being with an anti-party attitude in a
resolution of his Communist Part of India-Marxist (CPI-M). Following
this, the veteran leader came under flak from various speakers at the
conference.
The 91-year-old veteran walked out on the second day of his party's state conference at Alappuzha.
He
returned to the state capital last Sunday. Since then, despite
passionate pleas from the CPI's(M) top leadership, Achuthanandan has
been defiant and has remained out of the public glare. He is stay put at
his official residence here.
But what has left many with raised
eyebrows is Achuthanandan's decision to attend the 22nd Communist Party
of India's (CPI) state party conference, when he is to inaugurate a
seminar Saturday.
New CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri
Balakrishnan, however, gave a guarded reply to questions on the fate of
Achuthanandan in the party, playing down the veteran leader's appearance
at the CPI party meet.
"Oh, there is nothing wrong for him to
take part and inaugurate a seminar at the CPI state conference. After
all, they are also a communist party," Balakrishnan told reporters here
Wednesday.
Saying that Achuthanandan himself has to decide on
the way he decides to go about things, Balakrishnan added that on the
floor of the assembly the veteran leader will be leading from the front,
attacking the state government.
The Kerala assembly's budget
session is scheduled for early next month and Balakrishnan is hopeful
that he will be able to pacify the veteran.
Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy also sought to play down the rebellion of Achuthanandan by
stating: "These are all issues of another party and I generally do not
make any statements in these situations."