Achuthanandan cuts a lonely figure in CPI-M

Is the CPI-M boycotting veteran leader and former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan?

Ever since Achuthanandan staged a 'boycott' of his party's state conference, none of his colleagues in the Communist Party of India-Marxist seem to be keen to get in touch with him.

This was clearly evident when the 91-year-old spent half a day at the Kottayam government guest house on Saturday but not a single party leader came to greet him.

Achuthanandan was in Kottayam to inaugurate a seminar of the CPI.

It was a week earlier that he walked out of his own party's 21st state conference after a resolution condemning his constant breach of party discipline was read out.

Speaker after speaker upheld the party's finding that he was regularly breaching party discipline.

Since last Sunday, he has been staying put at his official residence here, virtually isolated by both the CPI-M leadership and the rank and file.

Most of the CPI-M in Kerala is with Pinarayi Vijayan, who for decades has headed a faction opposed to Achuthanandan.

"Achuthanandan has no option but to end his negative attitude if he wishes to be in the party," a CPI-M leader who did not wish to be named told IANS.