VS boycotts party meet, returns to state capital

CPI(M) founder-leader V S Achuthanandan today boycotted the ongoing party state conference indicating that he would not relent until his demands, including withdrawal of the recent party resolution against him, were met.
The 92-year-old leader, who had fuelled speculations that he would take some hard decisions when he walked out of meet yesterday, returned to his official residence in the wee hours, signalling that he was not satisfied with the leadership's response to his demand.
Achuthanandan, also leader of the opposition in the state, held interactions with his close aides at his official residence but is yet to make any public statement on his stand.

The CPI(M) veteran's "dissenting note" which pointed out serious flaws in the conduct of the state unit under his bete noir Pinarayi Vijayan and its response from the state leadership had precipitated the crisis in the party.
Though two state committee members close to Achuthanandan met him last night, apparently assigned by the leadership for patch-up, he had refused to budge from his demand that the party should withdraw the resolution which called him a "factionalist" and his actions betraying "anti-party mindest."
The party meet yesterday had a stormy start with the state secretariat coming out with a virtual indictment of the senior leader for shooting off a letter to the central leadership castigating Vijayan.

Achuthanandan had reacted sharply to the charges and the way they were made open through a press meet by Vijayan.

The state leadership, however, justified the decision to publicise the resolution, arguing it was necessary to clear the confusion created by Achuthanandan's letter and its leak to the media.
The CPI(M) leader had also mentioned the damage suffered by the party due to alienation of LDF allies like Janata Dal, tactical alliance struck with the PDP led by Abdul Nasser Madani in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and the party's "failure" to lead a strong and sustained stir against the UDF government.

Though Achuthanandan had hoisted the party flag for the meet and shared the podium with General Secretary Prakash Karat, he came under severe attack from sections of delegates during the discussion, prompting him to walk out of the venue.